Posted on 01/30/2010 8:57:45 AM PST by reaganaut1
When it comes to the goings-on in the news, some folks are more knowledgeable than others, with Republicans and older Americans scoring better on a current-events quiz.
In fact, out of the 12 multiple-choice questions asked in a Pew Research Center phone survey of more than 1,000 adults, Republicans answered an average of about 6 questions correctly compared with 5 for Democrats. (The survey was conducted between Jan. 14 and Jan. 17, and included cell phones and landlines.)
These political-party differences are partly a reflection of the demographics, with Republicans tending to be older, well-educated and male - all factors associated with political and economic knowledge. Even after accounting for these factors, however, Pew scientists found a gap.
But Dems can't take all the blame for national ignorance. Just 2 percent of the public answered all questions correctly, while 6 percent failed to answer a single question right. On average, Americans got just 5 out of 12 correct.
Even so, many people still talk the talk. For instance, even though respondents consistently expressed strong interest in the health care debate, just 32 percent knew the Senate passed its version of the legislation without a single Republican vote. And, in what proved to be the most difficult question on the quiz, just 26 percent knew that it takes 60 votes to break a filibuster in the Senate and force a vote on a bill.
(The survey was conducted before Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown won a special election to the Senate on Jan. 19; Brown's election means Senate Democrats can no longer count on a 60-vote majority once he takes office.)
Other political-party gaps
One of the largest gaps between political parties showed up in a question of who leads the U.S. Senate.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Democrats FEEL more than Republicans.
I got all 12 with a couple of intelligent guesses. I would bet that the average for Freepers would have to be in the 10+ range, maybe even 11+.
Where are the questions?
I have always viewed them as such and I always will.
No surprise. Democrats have made their political bones by appealing to peoples emotions. Democrat voters vote based on feelings not facts.
I wonder why they included 5 questions about American Idol?????
Oh, oh! Let see, anyone want to hazard a guess as to the political breakdown of these two groups? Hmmmmmm... :)
Which is why I think a simple test should be taken before voting. Don’t know the facts, can’t vote.
Don’t know if that is a compliment or not. Demcrats know nothing.
And the reason is: Republicans want to keep up on the truth in politics and therefore watch FOX and listen to Conservative radio. Thus they are more informed with truth which makes them smarter.
Pew Research - What Does the Public Know?
Look for the link on this page if you want to take the quiz yourself.
12 of 12, I agree, most Freepers would do well, it was a pretty basic quiz by our standards.
So I asked her if she knew some of the better known lib newspaper columnists or bright lights like Mo Dowd or E.J Dionne. She didn't know either of them. In fact, she couldn't name any. She knew she hated Ann Coulter though. She gasped audibly when I told her that I would race to be first in line to the polls if Coulter ran for president. Undoubtedly my sister is like a lot libs: politically and factually ignorant.
I got all 12 correct.
Those questions were pretty easy. The results don't say much for the general public and especially not for women who only got on average 4.6 questions correct. Pitiful. These are the nation's voters.
The only people who will be shocked by this are Democrats.
As with you and others, same here. But the questions are too easy.
In the 1980s, there was a bar in Chicago that had a Trivial Pursuit night (I think it was Wednesday nights), when people could team up and win gift certificates. I was kibbutzing behind a young female friend and whispering all the answers (she was very cute but a real bimbo). At the end of the games, she asked me, “How do you know so much?”
I answered, “I read; you should try it.” Amazingly, I still got lucky that night. More amazingly, we’re still friends after all these years, although she is still a ditz.
Exactly right!
Damn I missed one, did not know who the TV guy was since I rarely watch TV.
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