Less than half of U.S. adults (47%) could name all three branches of government and one in four (25%) could not name any, according to the 2022 Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center.
This year”™s survey of 1,113 adults also found pools of ignorance in citing each of the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment ”“ for example, only 24% could name freedom of religion. But 51% incorrectly claimed that Facebook is required to let all Americans express themselves freely on its platform under the First Amendment.
When asked what it means when the Supreme Court rules 5-4 in a case, 55% correctly chose “the decision is the law and needs to be followed” while the wrong answers included “the decision is sent back to Congress for reconsideration” (16%) and “the decision is sent back to the federal court of appeals to be decided there” (16%), while 13% could not answer.
This year”™s survey found significant declines from previous years, which the Annenberg Center attributed to a heavy public focus on government-related issues.
“When it comes to civics, knowledge is power,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. “It”™s troubling that so few know what rights we”™re guaranteed by the First Amendment. We are unlikely to cherish, protect, and exercise rights if we don”™t know that we have them.”
But they can probably name all of the Kardashians. Our education system is dismal.