The American Revolution Center has just released a study that found 83 percent of American adults fail a quiz on America’s founding and the American Revolution. The results of the study are not only alarming but incredibly sad.On the 27-question test within the survey, a national sample of American adults scored an average of only 44 percent correct. Additionally:
– Nearly 83 percent received a failing grade.- Only four of the 27 questions were answered correctly by 70 percent or more of respondents. – Many more Americans knew that Michael Jackson authored “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” than knew that James Madison was the Father of the Constitution, or that Alexander Hamilton was the first Treasury Secretary. – Only 11 percent of Americans could identify John Jay as the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Compare that to the 60 percent who knew the number of children of Jon and Kate Gosselin, a reality-TV show couple. – More than 50 percent of Americans wrongly attributed the quote “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” to either George Washington, Thomas Paine, or President Barack Obama, when it is in fact a quote from Karl Marx, author of The Communist Manifesto. – One-third did not know that the right to a jury trial is covered in the Bill of Rights, while 40 percent mistakenly thought that the right to vote is.
The study also found, in addition to the alarming lack of basic American Civics knowledge, that Americans think it is important that citizens do know the history and principles of America’s founding and the American Revolution and that this information is taught in school.
– Elizabeth Young