I'm sure this isn't a surprise to any of us, but I wanted to share this report.
Americans don't know civics
By Michelle Healy, USA TODAY
From high-school dropouts to college graduates to elected officials, Americans are "alarmingly uninformed" about the USA's history, founding principles and economy — knowledge needed to participate wisely in civic life, says a report scheduled to be released Thursday.
The study, the third in a series by the non-profit Intercollegiate Studies Institute, finds that half of U.S. adults can name all three branches of government, and 54% know that the power to declare war belongs to Congress. Almost 40% incorrectly said that it belongs to the president.
MORE: Questions and how students scored in '07
USA TODAY ON POLITICS: The Dems vs. GOP side of civics scores
And while 56% can name Paula Abdul as a judge on American Idol, only 21% know that the phrase "government of the people, by the people, for the people" comes from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Just 54% can correctly identify a basic description of the free enterprise system.
Those who have held elected office lack civic knowledge; 43% do not know the Electoral College is a constitutionally mandated assembly that elects the president. One in five thinks it "trains those aspiring for higher office" or "was established to supervise the first televised presidential debates."
"Without knowledge of your country's history, key texts and institutions, you don't have a frame of reference to judge the politics and policies of today," says Richard Brake, head of the institute's American Civic Literacy Program.
Earlier reports focused solely on college students; the new study expands the focus and concludes Americans across all economic, educational and political/social backgrounds are equally lacking. Among findings:
• 71% earn an F; the average score was 49%. Ages 25 to 34 had an average score of 46%; ages 45 to 64 had a 52% average. Of 164 respondents who say they have held elected office, 44% was average.
• Those with bachelor's degrees had an average score of 57% vs. 44% for those with a high-school diploma. The average score for advanced degree-holders inches up to 65%, or a D.
• Civic knowledge declines in proportion to time spent using passive media, such as TV. Reading and talking about history and current events, using the Internet and being involved in political activities has a positive effect.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-11-19-civics_N.htm
Taschen
Nine West
Vero Moda
"One in five thinks it "trains those aspiring for higher office" or "was established to supervise the first televised presidential debates."'
WHAT.
I'll admit though, I'd be one of the dumbasses not being able to identify the Gettysburg Address line.
1Drats. I posted a comment that got flagged. The non-vulgar version is as follows:
2"One in five thinks it "trains those aspiring for higher office" or "was established to supervise the first televised presidential debates.""
WHAT.
I'll admit, though, that I am one of the idiots who wouldn't have been able to identify the Gettysburg Address.
Kids have to get over it and read their textbooks! Or pick up a cool book with the story of parts of history and read that. We have lots of those educational but shorter books at my house which I've read. It's not that difficult.
Too much damn TV and internet.
3Yup yup - it's sad!
4Such an epidemic! Sadly, I learned everything I know about history from a couple of specific courses in University, the History Chanel, and self education. Sad, but true. I know Jay Walking is hammed up, but it's true or closer to the truth than anything else! People laugh because it's absurd. Too bad that laughter can't be converted to concern and action in the education system and parenting.
5I agree 100% Jen! Your comments are awesome!!
6I used to read like a demon. TV was a reward not a given. Oh well the stupid will inherit the mess their ill informed parents make. Now someone turn the channel for me i do not want to spill my plate of cookies.
7***************
"Enjoy life, it's ungrateful not to." - Ronald Reagan
So what's the average score of test takers? When I was finished taking it, the website claims the average score is 77%. On the page comparing citizens' to elected officials' scores, it says the average scores are 49% and 44%. The original post cites the average score as being 65%.
8I don't know whether to feel embarrassed or proud-ish about my score.
It is sinful how lethargic for knowledge we have become in this society. To entertain, Jay Leno will occasionally show him out asking people basic civic questions and the dumb answers they give. The dumbing down of America, what a shame.
9WOWZERS! I knew there was an issue, but every time I see proof of it like this study, I want to cry. Or throw up. Or maybe, just curse a bit. It's so stupidly unnecessary; It's all the public education systems fault; It's all our fault as parents to leave alllll of our child's education to them.... IMO, of course
SO SAD that a person who has earned a Master's degree or Phd has got a shot at a D!
What a huge waste of money spent on a mediocre education
"If the lion lies down with the lamb, the lamb must be replaced frequently." --Attributed to Martin Luther In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist violence of September 11, 2001.
10It is part of the NEA "dummying down" of America. The purpose of public education today is to be politically correct, to show that The U.S. is no different than any other country, and to diminish the roll of the White Anglo Saxon male in setting the course of this country of ours.
11Man Grandpa, I am so afraid that you are dead-on. It is sounding less like a whispered conspiracy theory and more like a tangible problem in reality to me nowadays.....
"If the lion lies down with the lamb, the lamb must be replaced frequently." --Attributed to Martin Luther In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist violence of September 11, 2001.
12Grandpa, we missed you!
IMO it's even bigger than the NEA.
It's about "diversity" and "equality".
The current interpretation of "equal opportunity" is "equal results".
Well, the only way you can get equal outputs with unequal inputs is to bring everyone down to the same level.
JaN: Great to see a face to go with the name!
13If you read my demi-rant over on the "Medicated Drones" thread, you've already seen my concern about two-career families not having the time or energy to closely monitor the nonsense their/our children are fed at school.
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The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money. -- Alexis de Tocqueville
The really sad part is that a regents (academic) High School Diploma from the New York City Public High School System up to the early '60s was probably more vigorous then 90% of all Liberal arts degrees issued in the American University system. In order to get your regents diploma you had to pass state exams at the end of 4 years of English 31/2 years of social studies that included 2 years of American history, a semester each of civics, world geography and economics, then you needed 3 years of a language, Mathematics, or Science, and then 2 years of the other two. Your language regents you could take after 2 years, but your math and science you had to take at the end of each year, since the disciplines were different. In addition we had to have 4 years of phys ed, and a semester of art, no regents for the last 2 thank Gawd. Colleges were real institutes for higher learning then, no women studies, black studies, any of those “programs” ending in “studies” which are a pathetic joke in preparing it’s students for critical thinking of any kind, a complete disservice to those who pay for that so called “education”.
14Gramps in the 80s we had 4 years english, history & social sciences, 3 years science, 2-3 years math & language. I went to one of the NYC specialized art HS so four years either music or art. Regents every year and there were 2 different HS degrees: a regents (which you wanted) and just a regular one. You were expected to go to college - we posted the acceptances for all to see. We had former nuns and professionals as instructors but that was beginning to change in other HS at that time because we were told "certain students could not relate" to their teachers. Thus the bar was lowered and stupid won out. Why bother achieving when you can be like everyone else.
15***************
"Enjoy life, it's ungrateful not to." - Ronald Reagan
What I posted was the minimum for a regent’s diploma, most college bound students would take 4 years of both math and science. I managed to do the equivalent of 5 years of science, and still graduated in 3 1/2 years.
16If everyone was required to watch West Wing in school I think these scores would be higher.
17Gramps if only they went back to these standards.
18***************
"Enjoy life, it's ungrateful not to." - Ronald Reagan
I graduated HS in '05. We only had 4 years of English and 2 of everything else. Wait, well, 1 year of Am. Gov't and Econ.
Since then, it has gone even more down the tubes.. Sad.
19Laura, Yes- it truly is sad
Lain, I will have to check out your medicated zombies
post.....Grandpa, wow i didn't realize just how dumbed down the education system really has become! And I thought things were worse since the 80's!! Man. Well, it's even more proof that we
should be respecting our elders instead of regarding elderly people as somehow lacking in intelligence, as if aging physically has somehow rendered them useless and fogged up with dementia;
heck they know more than we do! There must be a lot of old people around shaking their heads about how smart we think we are 
Barak Obama is going to make this country even more worse off
"If the lion lies down with the lamb, the lamb must be replaced frequently." --Attributed to Martin Luther In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist violence of September 11, 2001.
20Here were the requirements for a B.A. In year 1959 - 1960
Required basic courses for all B.A. candidates
Sem. hours
Art Electives 4
Bio. 01* Integrated Biological Science 4
English 1-2 0r 3-4 Rhetoric and Composition or
Advanced Composition 6
English 15-16 History of English Literature 6
English Electives 6
History 3-4 History of Medieval Europe 6
History 32-33 History of the 20th Century 6
Language 1-2, 3-4 (Students beginning a language) 12
Language 3-4 5-6 (Students having completed 2 years of
the language in high school) 12
Language 5-6 (Students having completed 3-4 years
of the language in high school) 6
Mathematics 07-08 Survey of Mathematics (Here you
could substitute higher levels of mathematics) 6-8
Music 01-02 History and appreciation of music 4
Introduction to Philosophy: analyses of the nature of philosophy. Its terminology and methods; a general survey of the problems of philosophy and consideration of the attempts that have been made to solve them.
Logic: the idea and the term of judgment and the proposition, the act of reasoning and the syllogism. The course also dealt the scientific method, the nature and logical foundation of induction, the inductive method, probability, definition, and division.
Cosmology: in other words philosophical physics, the philosophical explanation of the origin of the universe, the ultimate constitution of bodies, and their finality.
Fundamental Psychology: the nature, grades and origin of life. Vegetative life and its operations; the nature and origin of sensory life; sensation and perception; internal and external senses and emotion.
Psychology of Man: Intellectual life. The rational soul and its facilities of intellect and will; nature, origin, and destiny of the rational soul; relation between body and soul.
Philosophy of Being i.e. (Metaphysics): A study of the nature of being and its relation to its inferiors; the trancendentals; the categories; the perfections and causes of being.
Epistemology: An analysis of the problems of knowledge. A consideration of the major theories of knowledge; the nature of truth; certitude and the possibilities of attainment.
Natural Theology (Theodicy): as indicated above a discussion of the nature and existence of GOD from the standpoint of natural reason unaided by revelation. The proofs of God’s existence; attributes or perfections of the Deity.
We also had two semesters of ethics; principals of Ethics and finally Individual and Social Ethics. This was a total of 20 semester hours of Philosophy
Physics 01* Survey of Physical Sciences 4
Theology 01 The philosophy of religion 2
Theology 02 principals of Christian Morality 2
Theology Electives 8
Social Sciences Electives 6
Speech 1-2 Fundamentals of Speech 4
*math majors had to substitute Physics 1-2 for bio 01 and Physics 01
Including the required the required basic courses mentioned above every student must complete 132 semester hours for a degree. The extra hours are taken in the major field Major requirements are listed under Departmental headings (that was an additional 20 hours minimum in your major field
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