Should politicians pass the citizenship test before entering Congress?
… and it is only going to get worse
Politicians are now trying to dictate what can or cannot be taught in American schools. However, what is absolutely appalling is that many of those same politicians may have problems passing the citizenship test given to candidates for entry into the country.
According to the last nationwide test, two out of every three Americans would flunk the test given to prospective citizens.
That is appalling, but not surprising.
A report by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation indicated that fewer than 40 percent of Americans can pass the test.
That should not be surprising: The U.S. Supreme Court cannot tell what rights are protected by the U.S. Constitution. That, however, is another story.
2018 Survey
Some of the results are absolutely stunning,
Only one in three Americans (36 percent) can actually pass a multiple choice test consisting of items taken from the U.S. Citizenship Test, which has a passing score of 60, according to a national survey released today by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.
Only 13 percent of those surveyed knew when the U.S. Constitution was ratified, even on a multiple-choice exam similar to the citizenship exam, with most incorrectly thinking it occurred in 1776. More than half of respondents (60 percent) didn’t know which countries the United States fought in World War II. And despite the recent media spotlight on the U.S. Supreme Court, 57 percent of those surveyed did not know how many Justices actually serve on the nation’s highest court.
“With voters heading to the polls next month, an informed and engaged citizenry is essential,” Woodrow Wilson Foundation President Arthur Levine said. “Unfortunately this study found the average American to be woefully uninformed regarding America’s history and incapable of passing the U.S. Citizenship Test. It would be an error to view these findings as merely an embarrassment. Knowledge of the history of our country is fundamental to maintaining a democratic society, which is imperiled today.”
“National Survey Finds Just 1 in 3 Americans Would Pass Citizenship Test,”
Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, October 3, 2018
My suggestion: Make taking this test mandatory for every politician to enter the U.S. Congress.
This should not be surprising. Even historians have been playing fast and furious with the truth about history. I taught a student who had graduated from a four-year university and told me that slavery was not the cause of the U.S. Civil War.
In short, without slavery, the Civil War would never have occurred.
Many schools have done away with civics and even history classes, or they have limited what can be taught in the classes. That is particularly true in the southern states, but not just in those.
American history “not an academic exercise”
In his statement, WW’s Levine said that knowledge of history is essential for survival of the country,
Americans need to understand the past in order to make sense of a chaotic present and an inchoate future. History is both an anchor in a time when change assails us and a laboratory for studying the changes that are occurring.
It offers the promise of providing a common bond among Americans in an era in which our divisions are profound and our differences threaten to overshadow our commonalities.
“National Survey Finds Just 1 in 3 Americans Would Pass Citizenship Test,” Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, October 3, 2018
Ben Franklin invented the light bulb?
Here are some of the disappointing findings,
Seventy-two percent of respondents either incorrectly identified or were unsure of which states were part of the 13 original states;
Only 24 percent could correctly identify one thing Benjamin Franklin was famous for, with 37 percent believing he invented the lightbulb;
Only 24 percent knew the correct answer as to why the colonists fought the British;
Twelve percent incorrectly thought WWII General Dwight Eisenhower led troops in the Civil War; 6 percent thought he was a Vietnam War general; and
While most knew the cause of the Cold War, 2 percent said climate change.
“National Survey Finds Just 1 in 3 Americans Would Pass Citizenship Test,” Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, October 3, 2018
Only 19 percent under age of 45 passed
This is not surprising. The people who did well on this were older and more educated. Back in the day, knowing history was essential. Today, not so much,
Surprisingly, the poll found stark gaps in knowledge depending on age. Those 65 years and older scored the best, with 74 percent answering at least six in 10 questions correctly. For those under the age of 45, only 19 percent passed with the exam, with 81 percent scoring a 59 percent or lower.
“National Survey Finds Just 1 in 3 Americans Would Pass Citizenship Test,” Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, October 3, 2018
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