Posted on 10/03/2018 8:05:10 AM PDT by gattaca
Just a third of Americans can pass a multiple choice "U.S. Citizenship Test," fumbling over such simple questions as the cause of the Cold War or naming just one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for.
And of Americans 45 and younger, the passing rate is a tiny 19 percent, according to a survey done for the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.
Worse: The actual test only requires that 60 percent of the answers be correct. In the survey, just 36 percent passed.
Among the embarrassing errors uncovered in the survey of questions taken from the U.S. Citizenship Test and conducted by Lincoln Park Stragtegies: 72 percent of respondents either incorrectly identified or were unsure of which states were part of the 13 original states. 24 percent could correctly identify one thing Benjamin Franklin was famous for, with 37 percent believing he invented the lightbulb. 12 percent incorrectly thought WWII General Dwight Eisenhower led troops in the Civil War. 2 percent said the Cold War was caused by climate change. The foundation did the survey to make the point that Americans need to brush up on history and current events if they want to make a reasoned pick in the upcoming midterm congressional elections.
“With voters heading to the polls next month, an informed and engaged citizenry is essential,” Woodrow Wilson Foundation President Arthur Levine said. “Unfortunately this study found the average American to be woefully uninformed regarding America’s history and incapable of passing the U.S. Citizenship Test. It would be an error to view these findings as merely an embarrassment. Knowledge of the history of our country is fundamental to maintaining a democratic society, which is imperiled today,” he added.
According to the foundation analysis:
Only 13 percent of those surveyed knew when the U.S. Constitution was ratified, even on a multiple-choice exam similar to the citizenship exam, with most incorrectly thinking it occurred in 1776. More than half of respondents (60 percent) didn’t know which countries the United States fought in World War II. And despite the recent media spotlight on the U.S. Supreme Court, 57 percent of those surveyed did not know how many Justices actually serve on the nation’s highest court.
British Comedian Craig Ferguson was hosting a game show when NONE of the contestants could answer a very simple, straightforward question about Congress.
Ferguson got this smirk on his face and exclaimed, “Oh, I see how it is. Not EVERYBODY has to pass an exam to become an American!”
The Education Industrial Complex is getting just what it wants. Publik skrewl is state-sanctioned child abuse.
“2 percent said the Cold War was caused by climate change”
—
And that 2 percent were immediately given government jobs.
The Cold War was caused be nationalist paranoia that godless Communism could be defeated....
< /s >
IMHO, we should end birthright citizenship.
Everybody should have to successfully complete the equivalent of the Naturalization process before they become full citizens with the right to vote, hold elected or appointed office, etc.
The only downside to this I can see is that the Left controls the education establishment and could do all sorts of mischief with this.
Exactly.
There are many (perhaps Hillary's entire popular vote) that gave this announcement a standing O.
The American citizens likely werent coached
Schools don’t much teach History anymore. They only teach Leftist Indoctrination.
It’s a sad indictment of the public school system.
Go to YouTube and watch any one of Jay Leno’s street interviews. One of them was on the Stanford campus and questions like: Name the three branches of gov’t were consistently missed. But then, new parents know that Participation Trophies and Everyone’s a Winner so no one can flunk means a better life for them. I wonder what they think we their kids are still living with them at age 40 because they can find a job.
Be nice if they showed the test.
People have to pass a basic driving test to even get a PERMIT because it is DANGEROUS to have ignoramuses without basic driving skills or knowledge on public roads.
It is even more dangerous to have ignoramuses with no understand of basic history, civics and government structure driving in our voting process.
New Federal Law: If you want a single government dollar you have to have a curriculum in civics for grades 1-12. Civics was a class when I was a kid. Every year I learned something new about the country, its laws and the branches of government and their responsibilities.
That needs to be reintroduced in public education. Any school that doesn’t enact it, students families should have the right to a voucher for a private school or home schooling.
I’d be more concerned that they were ignorant of the foundational principles of this great nation. From what I see and hear, most are dangerously ignorant.
The majority, I think, is still instinctively drawn to the ideas of individual liberty and fair play. Those are the thin threads on which the fate of the republic hangs.
Now you know why the educational system has been intentionally dumbed down.
But we lead the world in instructing how to put on rubbers.
Exactly as planned by the Ministry of Education.
Chucky Schumer said the three branches of government were: President, Democrat and Republican
Duh, the cause of the Cold War was globull warming.
Franklin is famous for bedding his slave.
Mexico was one of the first states.
Eisenhower thought up E=mc2.
U.S. Constitution was ratified under Obama
WWII enemies was Russia. We’ve always fought Russia, hence them messing with our elections.
There is one Justice for each of the 57 states.
I think most Freepers would ace it.
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