US officials flunk test of Amerian history, economics, civics

US officials flunk test of Amerian history, economics, civics
Thu Nov 20, 2:24 pm ET


WASHINGTON
(AFP) – US elected officials scored abysmally on a test measuring their
civic knowledge, with an average grade of just 44 percent, the group
that organized the exam said Thursday.
Ordinary citizens did not fare much better, scoring just 49 percent correct on the 33 exam questions compiled by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI).
"It is disturbing enough that the general public failed ISI's civic literacy test,
but when you consider the even more dismal scores of elected officials,
you have to be concerned," said Josiah Bunting, chairman of the
National Civic Literacy Board at ISI.
"How can political leaders make informed decisions if they don't understand the American experience?" he added.
The exam questions covered American history, the workings of the US government and economics.
Among the questions asked of some 2,500 people who were randomly
selected to take the test, including "self-identified elected
officials," was one which asked respondents to "name two countries that
were our enemies during World War II."
Sixty-nine percent of respondents correctly identified Germany and Japan. Among the incorrect answers were Britain, China, Russia, Canada, Mexico and Spain.
Forty percent of respondents, meanwhile, incorrectly believed that the US president has the power to declare war, while 54 percent correctly answered that that power rests with Congress.
Asked about the electoral college, 20 percent of elected officials incorrectly said it was established to "supervise the first televised presidential debates."
In fact, the system of choosing the US president via an indirect electoral college vote dates back some 220 years, to the US Constitution.
The question that received the fewest correct responses, just 16
percent, tested respondents' basic understanding of economic
principles, asking why "free markets typically secure more economic
prosperity than government's centralized planning?"
Activities that dull Americans' civic knowledge include talking on the
phone and watching movies or television -- even news shows and
documentaries, ISI said.
Meanwhile, civic knowledge is enhanced by discussing public affairs,
taking part in civic activities and reading about current events and
history, the group said.
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