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The average score for all 2,508 Americans taking the test was 49%; college educators scored 55%.

Opinionated & Illiterate? Natalia Angulo, March 2, 2010 The Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) documents the growth, or lack thereof, of civic literacy in higher education in its annual American Civic Literacy report. The 2009 report, entitled “The Shaping of the American Mind: The Diverging Influences of the college Degree and Civic Learning on American Beliefs” highlights the shocking disconnect between traditional views and a standard education. In the past studies, ISI has administered civic knowledge tests on topics such as American history, government, and economics, and has found that the average college freshman, as well as the average college senior...

Ignorance is a B.A. by: Jesse Masai, December 05, 2008 Americans, including elected officials, earn a failing grade when tested on American history and economics. The recently-released third Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) Report on Civic Literacy suggests there is an epidemic of historical, political and economic ignorance in America and that colleges ought to be the main part of the cure. “Fewer than half of all Americans can name all three branches of government, a minimal requirement for understanding America’s constitutional system,” reads the report referring to its test of civic literacy in which liberals score 49%, conservatives 48%, and...