Sounds as though Wist is correct; take the quiz.

[HowardRoark]

Take the quiz......

http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/


What's past is prologue, so read up

BY CAL THOMAS

November 21, 2008

While Congress spends like the proverbial drunken sailor to "bail out" various industries for practices that are largely their fault and the fault of those in Congress who were supposed to provide oversight, another deficit looms that is at least as troubling as the economic one.

For the third straight year, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute has found that a large number of Americans cannot pass a basic 33-question civic literacy test on their country's history and institutions. The multiple-choice questions ask about the inalienable rights mentioned in the Declaration of Independence (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness), the name of Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1933 series of government programs (The New Deal) and the three branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial). No, I didn't peek at the answers. I received a good education.

The random sample of 2,508 American adults, ranging from those without high school diplomas to people with advanced degrees, revealed a minimal difference in civic literacy between the uneducated and the highly educated. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed could identify Paula Abdul as one of the judges on "American Idol," but only 21 percent were able to recognize a phrase from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. I had to memorize that speech in high school. What are they memorizing now?

Not much of any use, it appears. Ignorance of America's history and heritage is a setup for politicians and others who want to manipulate us into a way of thinking that allows them to make decisions that are unconstitutional and unwise. Knowledge of the past prepares us for a future based on unchanging principles. That's why knowledge matters and ignorance threatens our way of life even more than terrorism.

Civic illiteracy in the United States crosses all educational lines, including Harvard, where seniors scored 69.56 on the test, or a D-plus. And they were the best. The survey found that up to three-fourths of Americans believe teaching America's heritage is fundamental to a good education and to producing good citizens. So why is it not being done?

Part of it, I think, has to do with the continued embarrassment by the liberal education establishment over America and what it means to be an American. From their guilt about prosperity and our freedoms, to their opposition to "dead white males," college professors, especially since the '60s, have favored the trendy and quaint over the established and proven.

Remarkably, a college degree does not increase civic knowledge. According to the report, "The average score among those who ended their formal education with a bachelor's degree is 57 percent, or an 'F.' That is only 13 percentage points higher than the average score among those who ended their formal education with a high school diploma. Only 24 percent know that the First Amendment prohibits establishing an official religion for the United States."

That's pretty basic information, isn't it? One might expect the Bill of Rights to be part of any class on government, even as early as elementary school.

Other findings: "Elected officials score lower than the general public," which tells us all we need to know about Washington. "Television - including TV news - Dumbs America Down," says ISI. In the midst of important hearings in Washington on the economy and a possible bailout for the big three automakers, one cable channel carried a story about a 44-year-old stripper who is suing for age discrimination.

ISI calls on everyone involved in education, including parents, to re-evaluate curricula and standards of accountability and to emphasize to students the fundamentals about our country. It notes Thomas Jefferson's admonition: "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free ... it expects what never was and never will be."

Read the report at isi.org and weep. And then demand of yourself and others that something be done to fix the intellectual deficit.

[Freak Out]

Television, the drug of a Nation, breeding ignorance and feeding radiation.

I thought someone posted the link to that not that long ago?

[arcilite]

I got 26 out of 33.

NOt as good as I hoped.


Question #6 - D. establishing an official religion for the United States
Question #7 - D. Gettysburg Address
Question #8 - C. appoint additional Supreme Court justices who shared his views
Question #9 - A. Make treaties
Question #13 - E. certain permanent moral and political truths are accessible to human reason
Question #14 - B. stressed the sinfulness of all humanity
Question #15 - E. Thomas Jefferson’s letters

Were the ones I missed.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I think there are a lot of people who care about education, and a lot of people who are trying very hard. I really don't think the problem is indifference.

If you think we are doing poorly in education, you have to look around the world and look at who is doing a better job, at least in some senses. How? Why? are they succeeding.

Recognizing a problem is good, but really just the easy step, the self-satisfying bitching phase.

The only opinion I dare offer is that kids who can't perform should be given failing grades and not passed along. Maybe we can agree with that premise. ACting on this point of agreement would cause a gigantic shit storm, but at least it would be a start of dealing with the crisis.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Television, the drug of a Nation, breeding ignorance and feeding radiation.

ya, maybe TV is a bad thing overall. But you had TV in your house when you were growing up, and you are not a moron. why?

[HowardRoark]

87.88%

And Harlan, it's not about education per se. It's about not knowing what our country is.

[wist43]

I missed one... but would argue it - #30

I would argue decrease taxes, and decrease spending - then again, I am a Libertarian, so instinct got me on that one :D

Anybody else see that piece O'Reilly did on Obama voters being dolts - backed up by a Zogby poll no less??? Not sure on the particulars, and I think he said it's on utube, but some guy interviewed 500+ Obama voters... wow, flaming idiots would be an understatement, lol :)

If any of you wonders why our founders feared democracy, just watch these geniuses. Unfortunately, there are more of them, than there are informed citizens.

[Harlan Huckleby]

87.88%

And Harlan, it's not about education per se. It's about not knowing what our country is.

knowing what our country is, or agreeing upon what our country is?
What are you talking about?

[HowardRoark]

87.88%

And Harlan, it's not about education per se. It's about not knowing what our country is.

knowing what our country is, or agreeing upon what our country is?
What are you talking about?

Knowing.

[K-town]

30 out of 33 - 90.91%
Missed questions 10, 27 and 30.

[MadScientist]

32 of 33.

[bobblehead]

I missed one... but would argue it - #30

I would argue decrease taxes, and decrease spending - then again, I am a Libertarian, so instinct got me on that one :D

Anybody else see that piece O'Reilly did on Obama voters being dolts - backed up by a Zogby poll no less??? Not sure on the particulars, and I think he said it's on utube, but some guy interviewed 500+ Obama voters... wow, flaming idiots would be an understatement, lol :)

If any of you wonders why our founders feared democracy, just watch these geniuses. Unfortunately, there are more of them, than there are informed citizens.

I got 90.9, but gov't spending does stimulate the economy in the SHORT term wist, you should know that.

[wist43]

The ignorant are easily manipulated, which is exactly why the left has worked so tirelessly to dumb down our educational system. The dumber the person, the more ignorant the person, the more likely they are to vote democrat, i.e. the more likely they are to vote for all things socialist... people don't like to hear politically incorrect truths, but there it is.

For the most part, I think it would be next to impossible to have a functional understanding of the principles of freedom contained within our Constitution and the all of the supporting documentation and conclude that Obama was a viable choice for President; or any democrat for that matter.

As I've said many time however, the Republicans aren't much better... just boiling the frog a little slower.

[wist43]

I missed one... but would argue it - #30

I would argue decrease taxes, and decrease spending - then again, I am a Libertarian, so instinct got me on that one :D

Anybody else see that piece O'Reilly did on Obama voters being dolts - backed up by a Zogby poll no less??? Not sure on the particulars, and I think he said it's on utube, but some guy interviewed 500+ Obama voters... wow, flaming idiots would be an understatement, lol :)

If any of you wonders why our founders feared democracy, just watch these geniuses. Unfortunately, there are more of them, than there are informed citizens.

I got 90.9, but gov't spending does stimulate the economy in the SHORT term wist, you should know that.

Posterity be damned...

Tomorrow will never come... so spend till ye drop :)

Besides, future generations who will be burdened with the debt being piled up today, can't vote... so who gives a shit about them, right???

I really do get a kick out of the morons who prattle on endlessly about preserving the environment for future generations, and then turn right around and promote enslaving socialism.

[Little Whiskey]

29 of 33

questions 7 13 31 33

however, I thought some of these questions didn't fit a US civics test.

[bobblehead]

I missed one... but would argue it - #30

I would argue decrease taxes, and decrease spending - then again, I am a Libertarian, so instinct got me on that one :D

Anybody else see that piece O'Reilly did on Obama voters being dolts - backed up by a Zogby poll no less??? Not sure on the particulars, and I think he said it's on utube, but some guy interviewed 500+ Obama voters... wow, flaming idiots would be an understatement, lol :)

If any of you wonders why our founders feared democracy, just watch these geniuses. Unfortunately, there are more of them, than there are informed citizens.

I got 90.9, but gov't spending does stimulate the economy in the SHORT term wist, you should know that.

Posterity be damned...

Tomorrow will never come... so spend till ye drop :)

Besides, future generations who will be burdened with the debt being piled up today, can't vote... so who gives a shit about them, right???

I really do get a kick out of the morons who prattle on endlessly about preserving the environment for future generations, and then turn right around and promote enslaving socialism.

In a perfect world (which will never happen) gov't could debt spend in slow recession type times and pay it off in booming economic times. Unfortunately these guys have less self control than men in a whorehouse so its simply theory. We should have a balanced budget amendment...end of story.

If you ever have a chance wist, read "Time Enough For Love" by Heinlen. Its not sappy, but it does a very good job of mocking liberalism (and religion so if that bothers you nix it).

[LL2]

You answered 25 out of 33 correctly — 75.76 %

I didn't do as good as I thought either...but I always was a C student. A average students work for C students. :)

[wist43]

Actually, the BBA is one of my petter peeves...

mainly b/c the means to limit government spending is already codified in law by the limits placed on the FedGov by the Constitution - but, of course, nobody gives a merry damn about that, as has been demonstrated for decades.

That notwithstanding, I view the BBA as a sham... a shelter under which supposed conservatives can hide.

Doesn't it strike you as odd, that 59% of congress (or whatever the numbers have actually been) would vote for the BBA, always conveniently falling just short of the 60% needed for passage, but then turn right around and vote for big budget, big spending, unbalanced budgets in the regular budgetary process???

They then go home to their constituents, and claim they are responsible representatives who support the BBA... neverminding the fact that they continually vote for deficit laden budgets.

It's a boondoggle...

The only solution is to have an informed electorate... and of course that ship sailed a long time ago. We're entering into the death throes phase... rearranging the deck chairs may buy some time - not the 40 years I'm hoping for though.

As I've said, I contend that I don't deserve to suffer through the death of freedom, the death of our nation... I've understood the ramifications of our nations direction for years, and have tried to warn my fellow citizens, as have many others... but there are so few of us now. We are so far in the minority, we don't even register as a blip.

[Harlan Huckleby]

In a perfect world (which will never happen) gov't could debt spend in slow recession type times and pay it off in booming economic times.

Actually, your utopia did occur during the Clinton years.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Posterity be damned...

Tomorrow will never come... so spend till ye drop :)

Besides, future generations who will be burdened with the debt being piled up today, can't vote... so who gives a shit about them, right???

I really do get a kick out of the morons who prattle on endlessly about preserving the environment for future generations, and then turn right around and promote enslaving socialism.

You make a valid point about people who care about the evironment for the future but ignore the debt we are passing on.

But the unpaid for spending has very little to do with socialism. Do you consider the IRaq War a socialist war? I suppose you think Medicare is socialism. (I guess it will be if I have my way.)

We mostly have a capitalistic society. You only have "socialism", where the government controls the market, in a very few places around the world.

You have appropriated that word "socialism" for your own political and entertainment purposes.

[bobblehead]

In a perfect world (which will never happen) gov't could debt spend in slow recession type times and pay it off in booming economic times.

Actually, your utopia did occur during the Clinton years.

Yes, I agree, that gingrich did force Clinton to balance the budget against his will, you make a valid point. But even then, when the tax revenues came in a tad higher than expected and there was a choice of spending the excess or paying down the national debt guess which route they all went.

I would argue that ANY debt spending by gov't is taxation without representation as the children not yet born are not being represented or allowed to vote.

[MJZiggy]

90.91%

Missed 4,7, and 8.

Can't believe I forgot Gettysburg.

[texaspackerbacker]

I got 32 right out of 33--everything except #33, and I dispute that one.

Not to brag, but the great majority of these questions seemed pretty easy. I don't see how anybody who takes politics and government seriously could miss more than a couple of them.

I'm especially gratified that what I saw as clearly the right answer on #30 was what the quiz considered correct. I bet several in here either got it wrong or grudgingly put the right answer.

[texaspackerbacker]

In a perfect world (which will never happen) gov't could debt spend in slow recession type times and pay it off in booming economic times.

Actually, your utopia did occur during the Clinton years.

Yes, I agree, that gingrich did force Clinton to balance the budget against his will, you make a valid point. But even then, when the tax revenues came in a tad higher than expected and there was a choice of spending the excess or paying down the national debt guess which route they all went.

I would argue that ANY debt spending by gov't is taxation without representation as the children not yet born are not being represented or allowed to vote.

Do you not approve of leverage in business? Why then should the government be any different? If anything, the debt is more secure and proper, as a business being able to handle the debt is far less sure than the government's ability to raise/create funds to pay.