I scored a 93.94%. I missed two questions, one about Roe v. Wade and one about policy to stimulate a sagging economy. But, that means I got thirty-one questions right, which is apparently better than most Americans who took this test and scored and average of 49% and most college educators who scored 55%.
Here are some other results from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute
Seventy-one percent of Americans fail the test, with an overall average score of 49%.
... ISI examined whether other factors add to or subtract from civic literacy and how they compare with the impact of college. The survey revealed that in today’s technological age, all else remaining equal, a person’s test score drops in proportion to the time he or she spends using certain types of passive electronic media. Talking on the phone, watching owned or rented movies, and monitoring TV news broadcasts and documentaries diminish a respondent’s civic literacy. In contrast to these negative influences, the civic knowledge gained from the inexpensive combination of engaging in frequent conversations about public affairs, reading about current events and history, and participating in more involved civic activities is greater than the gain from an expensive bachelor’s degree alone. |
One of the ways to remain engaged in a frequent conversations about public affairs, current events and history is to maintain a blog. It helped me a great deal in passing this quiz.
You can take the quiz on-line at the following website. There is no need to register or give any personal information. Just answer the 33 questions as best you can and see where you stand.
Civics Quiz
Intercollegiate Studies Institute American Civil Literacy Program
And here are my final thoughts on this:
Reform needs to start in elementary school and middle school. I and my classmates knew what the Bill Of Rights was back in the fourth grade. We also knew that our government was tri-lateral and our legislature was bi-cameral. By the eighth grade, we could recite the Preamble (Thank you School House Rock!) and we knew how many Senators came from each state and how the proportion of Representatives was determined. We learned all of this before we took a complete Civics class in the 9th grade.
Why the schools stopped teaching these things is beyond comprehension.
But what we need more than anything else is parents who care about what their children are being taught. That means parents who will take an active role in their children's education and be willing to stand up to the teachers and administrators in their public schools. Anything else will be doomed to failure.
If you think you need to be better informed about our Government and how it is supposed to work, a good place to start is to read the Constitution of the United States of America. You can access it on-line here:
The United States Constitution
Founding Fathers of the United States of America
September 17, 1787
- George Washington - President and deputy from Virginia
- New Hampshire - John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman
- Massachusetts - Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King
- Connecticut - William Samuel Johnson, Roger Sherman
- New York - Alexander Hamilton
- New Jersey - William Livingston, David Brearley, Williamm Paterson, Jonathan Dayton
- Pensylvania - Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Mifflin, Robert Morris, George Clymer, Thomas FitzSimons, Jared Ingersoll, James Wilson, Gouv Morris
- Delaware - Geo. Read, Gunning Bedford jun, John Dickinson, Richard Bassett, Jaco. Broom
- Maryland - James McHenry, Dan of St Tho Jenifer, Danl Carroll
- Virginia - John Blair, James Madison Jr.
- North Carolina - Wm Blount, Richd Dobbs Spaight, Hu Williamson
- South Carolina - J. Rutledge, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles Pinckney, Pierce Butler
- Georgia - William Few, Abr Baldwin
- Attest: William Jackson, Secretary
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