On the first day of his American National Government class, Prof. Kevin Dopf asks how many of his students are United States citizens. Every hand shoots up.
“So, how did all you people become citizens?” he asks. “Did you pass a test?”
“No,” one young woman says tentatively. “We were born here.”
It’s a good thing. Based on his years of making his students at the University of South Carolina Beaufort take the test given to immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship, most would be rejected.
Most states require some sort of high school civics instruction. But with surveys showing that a third of American adults can’t name the three branches of the federal government, and one in which 10% of college graduates think Judith Sheindlin – TV’s “Judge Judy” – serves on the U.S. Supreme Court, many think we should be aiming higher.
Here’s an AP citizenship quiz, if you want to test your knowledge.
I’m surprised I got 80%. I thought I’d fail for sure. Granted, the real test isn’t multiple choice, at least according to the blurb at the end of the quiz. I’m sure I’d do horribly on the real thing, but that’s why people study for it ahead of time.
I got them all right, including the number of Representatives, which is something that Jill Stein (who is actually running for president) didn’t know.
- But I knew that because I read about her dumbass answer. But I thought it was 140 before, so I was still more correct than her and I’m not even running for president.
I’m now announcing my candidacy. Vote some_guy.
Um… There are 435 members of the US House of Representatives.
If you include the 100 Senators, there are 535 “representatives” in the US.
145 is not the answer to anything.
Whoops, I fucked that up. I meant to type 410. I dunno how I biffed that so badly.
I only got 50%, phew. Guess I won’t have to move to the US any time soon.
Imagine if knowing about US civics ended with people getting conscripted as immigrants.
“NO, PLEASE, NOT AMERICA”
“WE NEED YOUR CIVIC KNOWLEDGE”
I’d have got 100%, but I misread the date on the first one.
6/10. Not bad for never having taken a US civics course.
Miffed I missed the Bill o’Rights one. As ever, need to slow down and read the question better.
Was it the one about how many amendments are in the bill of rights? I picked 20 since I know we have close to that (but apparently 11+ aren’t considered part of the BoR?).
The Bill of Rights (amendments 1-10) specifically addressed debate over ratification of the Constitution.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights
BoR are the first 10/27 amendments. They were all ratified in 1791. Federalists thought that the structural elements laid out in the main document would protect people’s rights but Antifederalists insisted on codifying specific rights and the BoR was a promise to get more people on board with the idea of the Constitution.
I got 9/10. Maybe I could migrate to the US.
Maybe wait until November before you make a decision
Woo! Got a 100!
10/10 and most cases didn’t even need to see the choices.
E. Pleb Nista!
The AP citizenship quiz shouldn’t be AP, it should be a requirement to graduate.
I think ap doesn’t mean advanced placement, but associated press. Or I got whooshed.
It is the Associated Press. Damn, I should have clarified that. My bad.
One would think the apnews.com link and Associated Press site would be a good indicator.
Oops. I stand by my general statement. Passing a civics quiz should be required to graduate high school.
US history and US govt are required courses in most high schools. The information they teach is generally what would be on the citizenship test
Yes. And other standardized test subjects are taught in classes.
Most states (perhaps all of them?) require at least a year of US history to get a HS diploma. They do not guarantee the students retain the knowledge after passing the class, of course.
A year of U.S. history and a civics class are in no way the same.
I agree civics is immensely important, but I think we might have bigger issues in our education system.
https://www.thenationalliteracyinstitute.com/post/literacy-statistics-2024-2025-where-we-are-now
I realize there are other problems like literacy, but it’s not like we can’t do both work on literacy and civics.
This is exactly what the republicans strive for.
Last year, North Carolina Republicans introduced the REACH Act, an acronym for “Reclaiming College Education on America’s Constitutional Heritage.” The bill required undergraduates to take at least three credit hours in American government and read a series of major U.S. history documents, from the Declaration of Independence to Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” They would also have to pass a final exam worth 20% of the final grade.
Per the article
That’s cool and all, but these people do know the government controls k-12 public schools right?
Kids should know this shit long before college… And what about everyone who doesn’t go to college? They should just go fuck themselves I guess?
Teach this shit in middle school/high school.
Not shocking, the level of understanding the average person on here has on the topic of civics is downright depressing.
We’re on the brink of another Trump term --Justice Judy may well happen in the next year or two…
Don’t give Trump any ideas.
2 out of 10, but then I’m a Brit so I’m chuffed I got any!
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