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Would Thomas Jefferson approve of our current US tax system?

Based on the quiz link below, how well do you know US civics? Why don't we teach our own system better?

  • Please take the quiz linked below. http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/resources/quiz.aspx In my opinion, if our citizens do not learn the ideas behind our constitutional system, they will never learn to value the system and the process. Therefore, they will not deem the system or its founding principles worthy of protection or preservation. Do you find the following results disturbing? 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. Americans from all age groups, income brackets, and political ideologies fail the test of civic literacy. Americans age 25 to 34 score an average of 46% on the exam; Americans age 65 and over score 46%. Americans earning an annual income between $30,000 and $50,000 score an average of 46%; Americans earning over $100,000 score 55%. Liberals score an average of 49%; conservatives score 48%. Americans who go to church once a week score an average of 48%; Americans who never go to church score 50%.

  • Answer:

    I always knew I was above the norm. 78.79% with the average at 75.2%. I never go to church, age; over 65. education; high school. income; retired, under $20,000. politics; independent conservative. nationality; Native American/caucasian.

Martin L at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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Read the link and you will know why we don't teach civics or our real history anymore. Education had been taken over by the Marxists back in the 1970's.

Candy S

I scored a 97%. Yes, I find these results disturbing. I think it demonstrates how little value Americans place on education. Perhaps our nation is just too prosperous.

Mercer Devil

Got an 85% not bad for taking it cold.

sparhawk7322

I answered 32 out of 33 correctly — 96.97 % I did not read carefully enough and missed the correct answer on one question. As I teach freshmen and sophomores at a local community college, I see in many, but certainly far from all, students a lack of basic information we formerly expected of high school graduates. "Teaching to the test", a result of "No Child Left Behind", has not helped development of critical thinking in secondary school students. Instead, we have rote learning and, even worse, a failure to challenge students during critical times in their mental development. Once you suck the joy of learning from students, they can suffer the rest of their lives from that loss.

LovesTheConstitution

<<You answered 30 out of 33 correctly — 90.91 % Average score for this quiz during December: 75.1% Average score: 75.1% You can take the quiz as often as you like, however, your score will only count once toward the monthly average.>> I am Conservative. We're not all slack-jawed rednecks.

Philip McCrevice

I did pretty well...although I disagreed with the econ question/answer regarding spending during recession...

That Guy Over There

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