Old news, but still rather disconcerting...

[ramblin_rosie]

A 2008 Intercollegiate Studies Institute study found that elected officials generally score worse on a civic literacy exam than does the general public. (You can take the exam yourself here. I didn't think it was all that hard--got 32 of 33 right myself.)
Makes you wonder why we're voting for people who don't know how American government is supposed to work, doesn't it?

Comments

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

32 of 33 as well. Which one did you miss?

Though this is a very conservative perspective on civic literacy; not all the questions are solely factual.

[ramblin_rosie]

True, and like I mentioned to Mo, some of the philosophy questions I can see tripping people. But some of the ones people get wrong, like what the Electoral College does, are pretty basic.

The one I missed was "which policy has been followed most often." You?

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

I know! The factual questions are good ones - important, but apparently not as well known as they should be.

I don't remember the wording; is that the one about what the government does after a recession, concerning taxes and spending?

[ramblin_rosie]

To slow a recession or stimulate growth or something like that, yeah.

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

Wow. We both missed one, and it's the same one. I think they ought to throw it out. ;)

[mumstheword54.livejournal.com]

I missed that one too! LOL!