They got schooled.
American college students have little basic knowledge of history, lawmaking and US governance, according to a new survey of no-brainer civics questions.
“Students today are sadly unprepared for participation in our democratic republic, as these results show,” said Bradley Jackson of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, which administered the 35-question survey dubbed “Losing America’s Memory 2.0.”
“Our form of government requires citizens who understand its nature and history,” Jackson continued in a news release. “It should not be possible to get a bachelor’s degree without learning the basics of American history and government, but this is the norm on our college campuses.”
Some of the most embarrassing findings were that only 27% of the over 3,000 young scholars knew that Vice President Kamala Harris also sits as the Senate’s president — a key role in tiebreaking deadlocked votes. Meanwhile, only 28% of college kids were aware that the 13th Amendment was what ended slavery.
By contrast, 89% knew Jeff Bezos runs Amazon.
And, despite President Donald Trump’s recent impeachment — and speculation that Joe Biden could face a similar fate — only 32% of respondents were aware such a trial takes place before the Senate.
Meanwhile, only 35% of the brainiacs knew Louisiana’s Mike Johnson was the speaker of the House of Representatives and 60% did not know the legislative branch’s term limits in years.
That’s an important one to brush up on considering that only 32% knew that the legislative branch had the power to declare war. Nearly half of college students thought that was the President’s executive authority.
A 51% majority also thought the Consitution was drafted in 1776 and 44% thought President Thomas Jefferson was the “father of the Constitution,” rather than President James Madison.
“American colleges and universities must step up and take responsibility for this sorry state of affairs,” added Jackson.
“They must lead the way toward a renewal of civic education, rather than aggravating polarization and flattening our discourse with illiberal ideology.”
Here are a few important civics facts that university students brutally blundered:
- A slim 35% know Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House
- 60% do not know U.S Congressional term lengths (two years)
- 37% are aware John Roberts is the Supreme Court Chief Justice — 16% thought Clarence Thomas
- 32% know impeachment proceedings occur in the Senate
- A meager 28% know the 13th Amendment abolished slavery
- Just 31% knew James Madison was the “Father of the Constitution”
- 23% knew the phrase “Government of the people, by the people, for the people,” is from President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
