Are you smarter than your Elected Official?

Probably.

The Civic Literacy Quiz.

Of the 2,508 Americans taking ISI’s civic literacy test, 71% fail. Nationwide, the average score on the test is only 49%.

The results reveal that Americans are alarmingly uninformed about our Constitution, the basic functions of our government, the key texts of our national history, and economic principles.

I'm not surprised really.  However, finding out that politicians are just as ignorant about government as us plain folk was a little unnerving.  See the results here.

I missed 3 (but one was kind of a trick question).  What about you?

Well, I missed more than 3 but did considerably better than the overall average -- and I did pass.  Having been 30+ years since I was in a Civics/Government/US History class, I'll accept the grade.  But now I want to go study...

Politicians scoring lower surprising?  Not really, particularly when there is no definition of what level the politician is -- could be local dog catcher, could be the president.... I am sure that all politicians do not have upper level degrees (although, it doesn't seem to matter, for this test).

That was interesting.   I got 81.82% right.  I was confused by the ones about taxation and spending mostly and I think that's what I got wrong. 

After hearing Sarah Palin misrepresent what rights the first amendment guarantees I'm not at all surprised. 

Yay! I go an "A"

90.91% to be exact. Guess I'm more suited to run for Congress than some politicians. I'm not surprised that so few (only half of "Joe the Plumbers" and less elected officials! knew that CONGRESS declares war, not the president. But then again, Congress hasn't officially declared war since 1941)

I also took a college equivalent course on Civics two years ago so I had somewhat of an advantage. I got the ones about the "Lincoln Douglas debate", "what it means  when government debt = 0", and about "why free market systems are better" wrong though.

I got 9 wrong so I'm a C student. But I'm not American and have never studied American history so it's not as terrible as it could be.

Wow, CCer's are superior to everyone, or just liars. I got 96 percent.

I was surprised that I only missed two (93.94%).  Most I knew, but some I had to go by process of elimination and then take a 50/50 guess.

40%....

Original Post by palipride47:

Yay! I go an "A"

90.91% to be exact.

 

 if you lived in MY state.... that would have been a 'B'  :/

91-100=A

81-90=B

------------------

I got a 'C' 

lol.... I wont be running for office anytime soon ;)

Original Post by jblarghp:

40%....

Respect.

63.64%...not too bad considering I'm Canadian and have only ever spent 4 days in the states.

Missed 3 as well.  90.91%.  I think some of the questions are bumpkus, though.  Seem slanted as well towards free-market ideals.

And, since someone wants to start the which-state-is-hardest-to-get-an-A-in game, at my high school, this would have been an A-.  An A was 95 or higher.

hehe

well since we're doin' the A-, A,  A+ thing...

in that case...

90=B+

91-93.5=A-

93.5-95=A

95-100=A+

100% whoo hoo!

Though I'm an econ major, so that definitely helps.

Original Post by dnrothx:

And, since someone wants to start the which-state-is-hardest-to-get-an-A-in game, at my high school, this would have been an A-.  An A was 95 or higher.

 Of course, we then have to wonder which state's harder to get a 90% in then, don't we? 

Original Post by dattaplot54321:

100% whoo hoo!

Though I'm an econ major, so that definitely helps.

 Econ major = brainwashed by capitalist stooges.

Original Post by fortius:

Wow, CCer's are superior to everyone, or just liars. I got 96 percent.

 The average score for Nov is 77% so far.  Guess all the smarties decided to take the test this month.

Original Post by jewelsmcblah:

Original Post by fortius:

Wow, CCer's are superior to everyone, or just liars. I got 96 percent.

 The average score for Nov is 77% so far.  Guess all the smarties decided to take the test this month.

Wikipedia comes to mind. If elected officals and the college population don't score that high, then the general population isn't going to average 77%. I don't have that much faith in people, but maybe I should.

Original Post by fortius:

Original Post by jewelsmcblah:

Original Post by fortius:

Wow, CCer's are superior to everyone, or just liars. I got 96 percent.

 The average score for Nov is 77% so far.  Guess all the smarties decided to take the test this month.

Wikipedia comes to mind. If elected officals and the college population don't score that high, then the general population isn't going to average 77%. I don't have that much faith in people, but maybe I should.

 You impugn my integrity.  I challenge you to a duel.

*throws down his gloves*

This'll teach you to compare me to the ignorant proles that infect the general populace.

Cool.... I only missed one. (I'm not really up on philosphers, it seems.)

me too Molly, except I couldn't remember if TJ or GW talked about the wall of separation and I second guessed myself and got it wrong

You answered 32 out of 33 correctly — 96.97 %

Average score for this quiz during November: 78.0%
Average score: 78.0%

You can take the quiz as often as you like, however, your score will only count once toward the monthly average.

Don't second guess yourself!