Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Elected Officials flunk Constitution Quiz

http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=251081

Posted: January 14, 2011
9:05 pm Eastern


By Drew Zahn
� 2011 WorldNetDaily




In a survey of thousands of Americans, one subset � elected officials � proved particularly clueless on questions about the U.S. Constitution.

In fact, fewer than half could correctly answer such basic questions as "Who can declare war?" and "What are the three branches of government?"

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute reports it conducted the quiz of over 2,500 adults, asking 33 basic civics questions, many taken from nationally recognized instruments like the U.S. Citizenship Exam, including 10 questions related to the U.S. Constitution.

Of the sample size, 164 identified themselves as having been successfully elected to government office � whether federal, state or local positions � but the subset performed even poorer than the national average on questions about the government.

For example, only 15 percent of officials answered correctly that the phrase "wall of separation" appears in Thomas Jefferson's letters � not in the U.S. Constitution � and only 57 percent knew the purpose of the Electoral College.

Twenty percent of the officials, reports Richard Brake in AOL News, thought that the Electoral College was a school for "training those aspiring for higher political office."

"The fact that our elected representatives know even less about America's history and institutions than the typical citizen (who doesn't know much either) is troubling indeed," writes Brake, who is co-chairman of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute's National Civic Literacy Board, "but perhaps helps explain the lack of constitutional discipline often displayed by our political class at every level of our system.

"Given this dismal performance," he continues, "it would seem that last week's House reading of the Constitution shouldn't be described 'presumptuous and self-righteous' [as a New York Times editorial dubbed it], but as a necessary national tutorial for all elected officials."

(Story continues below)



Read more: Elected officials flunk U.S. Constitution quiz http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=251081#ixzz1BIgQbZ1s

The American education system is SUCH a shining success!



Don't think for a minute this predicament is an accident.

http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/resources/quiz.aspx

I'll take it when I get freed up-

All we need to do is build some nice new expensive schools and raise the pay of teachers and admins, that'll fix it.

I took that same (or similar) quiz just after the Nov 2008 elections. Took it cold, did no research prior to taking it and did not look up the correct answers while taking it. I had not had any civics, history or political science classes in over thirty years at the time I took the quiz. I relied soley on my recollections from my public school education and what I had learned out in the world since college. I scored 27 correct out of the 33 questions. I had my mother take the quiz and she scored 17 out of 33 (she graduated from HS in 1950 and had no college). It is shameful that so many of our congress critters (most of whom are either lawyers or professional politicians!!!) score so poorly on this quiz. The general population, I fear, may score even worse. Sad situation, indeed.

Is this a surprise??

Fact of the matter is, them sumbitches need to sit their asses at their desk and study the Constitution before they start traveling, chasing snatch, and spending our damned money.
If they can't pass a test based on the Constitution, run their ass off.

Fixed it!

Saw this in the local online paper tonight.
-------------------------------------------------
Evergreen High takes 2nd in state Constitution competition

Students from Evergreen High School won second place in the Jan. 8 We the People state competition in Olympia. Before the competition, students studied the rights and duties of Americans under the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. During the competition, the students were asked questions about the Constitution and its history. The panel of judges was made up of professionals including lawyers, judges, legislators and educators.


http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jan/16/evergreen-high-takes-2nd-in-state-constitution-com/

So it can safely be said our congress critters aren't smarter than 5th graders...sad.

31 out of 33, not too shabby.

That is why my sons went to private schools

I did the same.

28 out of 33 for me, but the 5 I missed are under protest.