December 16, 2008

Acknowledging the deep divides in America, a new study by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) states:

On at least one significant question... we have forged a deep consensus. In all regions and strata of the country, large majorities agree that colleges should prepare citizen leaders by teaching American’s history, key texts, and institutions. 

Wonderful, but , as you probably expect, then the other shoe drops. The report, Our Fading Heritage, notes that approximately the same number who believe colleges should prepare citizen leaders flunked a basic civic literacy test. In fact, seventy-one percent of the 2,508 who took the test failed with an average score of forty-nine percent—a stunning “F.”

Among the dismal results:

• Less than half can name all three branches of the government.

• Only 21% know that the phrase “government of the people, by the people, for the people” comes from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

• Although Congress has voted twice in the last eight years to approve foreign wars, only 53% know that the power to declare war belongs to Congress. Almost 40% incorrectly believe it belongs to the president.

• Only 55% know that Congress shares authority over U.S. foreign policy with the president. Almost a quarter incorrectly believe Congress shares this power with the United Nations.

• Only 27% know the Bill of Rights expressly prohibits establishing an official religion for the United States.

• Less than one in five know that the phrase “a wall of separation” between church and state comes from a letter by Thomas Jefferson. Almost half incorrectly believe it can be found in the Constitution.

The survey sample included people who had and had not graduated from college and in the process found that “college adds little to civic knowledge.”