Well, we now have at least one answer for why most people seem ill-informed about government. The results for the latest national civics exam came out today--and they reveal that most eighth- and 12th-graders lack basic knowledge of how our government works.
Fewer than half of American eighth graders knew the purpose of the Bill of Rights on the most recent national civics examination, and only one in 10 demonstrated acceptable knowledge of the checks and balances among the legislative, executive and judicial branches, according to test results released on Wednesday.At the same time, three-quarters of high school seniors who took the test, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, were unable to demonstrate civic skills like identifying the effect of United States foreign policy on other nations or naming a power granted to Congress by the Constitution.
The average 12th-grade score was 148, down three points from when the test was last administered in 2006. The average eighth-grade score remained at 151.
Sandra Day O'Connor bluntly calls this a "crisis," especially given the toxic state of our political climate.