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Monday, March 25th, 2019

A majority in every state but Vermont would fail a test of U.S. citizenship questions

Author:    
Source:     Axios
Publication Date:     Feb 18, 2019
 Link: A majority in every state but Vermont would fail a test of U.S. citizenship questions
Stephan:   The other day I ran a story about how few people actually knew what the Bill of Rights says, or what it is about. It is actually far worse than that. Most Americans couldn't pass the test an immigrant has to pass in order to become a citizen. This has happened because we do not make teaching what used to be called civics a priority. As a result, we have a republic of people ignorant about the nature of their own government and, I think, this is by design. A large part of the professional political class wants a politically ignorant populace. They can be easily manipulated by emotion, because they lack any understanding of how the system works.

Why it matters: It suggests most Americans can’t live up to the standards we set for people applying to be U.S. citizens — and we set those standards because we expect Americans to be informed and engaged. Only four out of 10 Americans would have passed the test, and just 27% of those under age 45.

By the numbers: A few highlights from the survey, conducted for the foundation by Lincoln Park Strategies:

  • People did relatively well on the most basic questions. Seven out of 10 knew that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and that Franklin Roosevelt was president during World War II.
  • But only 43% knew that Woodrow Wilson was president during World War I (nearly one out of four thought it was Roosevelt), and only 56% knew which countries we fought in World War II.
  • Fewer than a third could correctly name three of the original states.
  • More than six out of 10 incorrectly thought the Constitution was written in 1776. (It wasn’t written until 1787.)
  • Nearly four out of 10 thought Benjamin Franklin invented the light bulb.

Methodology: The survey was conducted Nov. […]

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1 Comment

  1. Tom Nesser on Monday, March 25, 2019 at 5:50 am

    I agree. Fundamentals that used to be taught have vanished. Watered down curriculums at all levels coupled with lowering the bar all have consequences. Add to that tenure policies that protect bad instructors from discipline and termination. You end up with hollow degree holders who are clueless. All this at a time when the cost of so called “education” spirals upward.