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11-30-2008, 10:04 AM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Rational Thought Allowed?
Join Date: Mar 2006 
Posts: 8,019
| America, the ignorant...
Quote:
Washington, D.C., November 20, 2008 – Are most people, including college graduates,
civically illiterate? Do elected officials know even less than most citizens about civic topics such as history, government, and economics? The answer is yes on both counts according to a new study by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI). More than 2,500 randomly selected Americans took ISI’s basic 33question test on civic literacy and more than 1,700 people failed, with the average score 49 percent, or an “F.” Elected officials scored even lower than the general public with an average score of 44 percent and only 0.8 percent (or 21) of all surveyed earned an “A.” Even more startling is the fact that over twice as many people know Paula Abdul was a judge on American Idol than know that the phrase “government of the people, by the people, for the people” comes from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
http://www.americancivicliteracy.org...e_11-20-08.pdf
Civic Literacy Report - Civics Quiz
http://www.americancivicliteracy.org...l_finding.html | Great insight...
__________________
LG, when I think of UT football I think about world class sprinter WR's, like Gault,...fast bruising hard to tackle RB's, great OL play and a D that'll knock your d**k in the dirt. That's from the Johnny Major era thru the Philip Fulmer era.--HIGHTIDE 25 APR
Nam esse vitium et non nocere non potest
Last edited by therealUT; 11-30-2008 at 10:06 AM.
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11-30-2008, 01:43 PM
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#2 (permalink)
| | doo doo doo
Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: looking out my backdoor
Posts: 12,263
| 91% for me.
__________________
Who can take the country
Sprinkle it with change
Make everything fair when the wealth he rearranges
The Candy Man, the Candy man can
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11-30-2008, 02:11 PM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Nine times...Nine Times
Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: In the office
Posts: 5,515
| 91% for me too. missed 27, 30 and 33.
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There are only two means by which men can deal with one another: guns or logic. Force or persuasion. Those who know that they cannot win by means of logic, have always resorted to guns.--Ayn Rand | |
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11-30-2008, 02:17 PM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Volunteer
Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 8,411
| Quote:
Originally Posted by volinbham  91% for me. | Me too... | |
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11-30-2008, 05:18 PM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Super Moderator
| Quote:
Originally Posted by MG1968 91% for me too. missed 27, 30 and 33. | I missed the exact same questions. Some of those answers are a little vague IMO. | |
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12-01-2008, 02:27 AM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Hates the Gators
Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Logan, UT
Posts: 1,580
| It seems really strange that an officeholder would not know what makes up the three branches of government. On the other hand, it is pretty well documented that most Americans fail at our own history, and that many immigrants who take the U.S. naturalization exam know more than we do. Also, I highly doubt I would have done as well had I been administered the exam by phone (which was their method), rather than by the internet. Having been a surveyor I can tell you that phone interviews are a pain in the ass because it can become hard to keep track of the answers as time goes on, especially when it is multiple choice instead of a scale / Likert scale. Still, the results are pretty pitiful no matter how you look at it. | |
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12-02-2008, 10:21 AM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Pre Madonna Mod
Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: DFW
Posts: 16,260
| Quote:
Originally Posted by MG1968 91% for me too. missed 27, 30 and 33. | I missed 27 and 33, but got 30 correct. I missed 4 and 8 as well for an 87.88%. I hang my head.
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12-02-2008, 10:58 AM
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#8 (permalink)
| | doo doo doo
Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: looking out my backdoor
Posts: 12,263
| The last one about tax revenues and expenditures had 2 choices that both seemed only partially right. I'm guessing most of us picked that the debt would be zero if tax revenues equalled government expenditures. If it said deficit, we would be correct but there could have been prior debt so wasn't technically right - however, it was missing information.
The other choice (and right answer) didn't sound right either since it used terms like average tax per individual and average expenditures per person. Technically this is correct but we all know that different individuals contribute different amounts of tax revenue and receive differing amounts of government expenditures. It was a bit misleading if you ask me.
__________________
Who can take the country
Sprinkle it with change
Make everything fair when the wealth he rearranges
The Candy Man, the Candy man can
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12-02-2008, 12:08 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,029
| 91%
Missed 4,7,27
Looks like #27 was the killer on this test. | |
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12-02-2008, 12:17 PM
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#10 (permalink)
| | Fabulous, thanks 4 asking
Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Delaware, OH
Posts: 29,746
| For some stupid reason, I missed 30.
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12-02-2008, 12:21 PM
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#11 (permalink)
| | Wave yo hands in the aiya
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 24,204
| I missed 27 and 33. 27 had ludicrous choices for answers. | |
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12-02-2008, 12:24 PM
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#12 (permalink)
| | doo doo doo
Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: looking out my backdoor
Posts: 12,263
| Now I can't remember what I missed - I think I got 27 and 30 correct. Definitely missed 33.
__________________
Who can take the country
Sprinkle it with change
Make everything fair when the wealth he rearranges
The Candy Man, the Candy man can
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12-02-2008, 12:28 PM
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#13 (permalink)
| | Fabulous, thanks 4 asking
Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Delaware, OH
Posts: 29,746
| Quote:
Originally Posted by volinbham Now I can't remember what I missed - I think I got 27 and 30 correct. Definitely missed 33. | Jerk! I got 33!
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12-02-2008, 12:32 PM
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#14 (permalink)
| | doo doo doo
Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: looking out my backdoor
Posts: 12,263
| It was 4, 15 and 33 that I missed.
Also, why is Sputnik a civics related issue? I know it was big in the space race but really?
__________________
Who can take the country
Sprinkle it with change
Make everything fair when the wealth he rearranges
The Candy Man, the Candy man can
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12-02-2008, 12:36 PM
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#15 (permalink)
| | Wave yo hands in the aiya
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 24,204
| Quote:
Originally Posted by volinbham It was 4, 15 and 33 that I missed.
Also, why is Sputnik a civics related issue? I know it was big in the space race but really? | some of it mattered, but most was trivia.
who cares where Jefferson penned the "wall of separation?" I just want people to know that he did pen it and the idea has become a part of what we believe to be right. Same with "government of the people...." | |
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