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National Survey Finds Just 1 in 3 Americans Would Pass Citizenship Test
PRINCETON, N.J. (Oct. 3, 2018) – Only one in three Americans (36 percent) can actually pass a multiple choice test consisting of items taken from the U.S. Citizenship Test, which has a passing score of 60, according to a national survey released today by the Institute for Citizens & Scholars (formerly the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation).
Only 13 percent of those surveyed knew when the U.S. Constitution was ratified, even on a multiple-choice exam similar to the citizenship exam, with most incorrectly thinking it occurred in 1776. More than half of respondents (60 percent) didn’t know which countries the United States fought in World War II. And despite the recent media spotlight on the U.S. Supreme Court, 57 percent of those surveyed did not know how many Justices actually serve on the nation’s highest court.
Most Americans Don’t Know the Facts About Country’s Founding
The poll, conducted by Lincoln Park Strategies, a nationally recognized full-service analytic research firm that partners with corporate and non-profit clients around the globe to meet all of their research and data needs, has a margin of error of ±3 percent with a random sample of 1,000 American citizens. The survey also found that:
- Seventy-two percent of respondents either incorrectly identified or were unsure of which states were part of the 13 original states;
- Only 24 percent could correctly identify one thing Benjamin Franklin was famous for, with 37 percent believing he invented the lightbulb;
- Only 24 percent knew the correct answer as to why the colonists fought the British;
- Twelve percent incorrectly thought WWII General Dwight Eisenhower led troops in the Civil War; 6 percent thought he was a Vietnam War general; and
- While most knew the cause of the Cold War, 2 percent said climate change.
Despite the enormous struggles to demonstrate a basic understanding of American history, most respondents said U.S. history was an appealing subject during their time in school, with 40 percent noting it was their favorite and another 39 percent saying it was somewhere in the middle of favored courses of study.
Age Gaps Exist
Surprisingly, the poll found stark gaps in knowledge depending on age. Those 65 years and older scored the best, with 74 percent answering at least six in 10 questions correctly. For those under the age of 45, only 19 percent passed with the exam, with 81 percent scoring a 59 percent or lower.
State-by-State Results
Results of 50-state survey find only four in 10 can demonstrate basic history understanding.
See the ResultsState-by-State Results
On Feb. 15, 2019, Citizens & Scholars released a new survey of 41,000 Americans. The results showed that in the highest-performing state, only 53 percent of the people were able to earn a passing grade for U.S. history. People in every other state failed; in the lowest-performing state, only 27 percent were able to pass.
Among all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Vermonters were the sole group able to pass the multiple-choice test. Even more disturbing, only 27 percent of those under the age of 45 nationally were able to demonstrate a basic understanding of American history. Nationally, only four in 10 Americans passed the exam.
The survey found only 15 percent of American adults could correctly note the year the U.S. Constitution was written and only 25 percent knew how many amendments there are to the U.S. Constitution. Further, 25 percent did not know that freedom of speech was guaranteed under the First Amendment, and 57 percent did not know that Woodrow Wilson was the commander in chief during World War I.
C&S is developing a critical mass of Americans as effective citizensHow the States Fared
The top four states following Vermont are Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana and Virginia. The five lowest-performing states are Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky and Louisiana.
| State | A (90-100) | B (80-89) | C (70-79) | D (60-69) | F (59 or less) | |
| Vermont | 4% | 13% | 23% | 13% | 47% | |
| Wyoming | 7% | 13% | 15% | 15% | 51% | |
| South Dakota | 1% | 15% | 17% | 15% | 52% | |
| Montana | 3% | 13% | 15% | 16% | 53% | |
| Virginia | 5% | 11% | 14% | 16% | 54% | |
| Nebraska | 5% | 10% | 11% | 20% | 55% | |
| Delaware | 6% | 9% | 17% | 14% | 55% | |
| Minnesota | 2% | 8% | 17% | 18% | 55% | |
| North Dakota | 1% | 8% | 15% | 21% | 55% | |
| Utah | 5% | 10% | 17% | 13% | 55% | |
| Maine | 2% | 10% | 18% | 14% | 56% | |
| Kansas | 2% | 11% | 12% | 18% | 56% | |
| Iowa | 4% | 12% | 13% | 14% | 57% | |
| New Hampshire | 5% | 8% | 13% | 17% | 57% | |
| Illinois | 3% | 9% | 16% | 15% | 57% | |
| Arizona | 2% | 8% | 17% | 16% | 58% | |
| Connecticut | 3% | 11% | 14% | 15% | 58% | |
| D.C. | 7% | 12% | 15% | 9% | 58% | |
| Massachusetts | 3% | 10% | 14% | 14% | 58% | |
| Rhode Island | 4% | 10% | 13% | 16% | 58% | |
| Wisconsin | 3% | 10% | 14% | 15% | 58% | |
| New Jersey | 3% | 11% | 14% | 14% | 58% | |
| Maryland | 4% | 10% | 13% | 14% | 59% | |
| Ohio | 4% | 9% | 14% | 15% | 59% | |
| Idaho | 2% | 9% | 17% | 14% | 59% | |
| Nevada | 2% | 11% | 12% | 16% | 59% | |
| Colorado | 2% | 10% | 14% | 15% | 59% | |
| Oregon | 3% | 11% | 13% | 14% | 60% | |
| Pennsylvania | 4% | 9% | 12% | 15% | 60% | |
| Washington | 3% | 9% | 15% | 13% | 60% | |
| California | 4% | 8% | 13% | 15% | 60% | |
| New York | 4% | 11% | 11% | 13% | 60% | |
| Hawaii | 3% | 7% | 14% | 16% | 60% | |
| Missouri | 3% | 8% | 14% | 15% | 61% | |
| North Carolina | 4% | 8% | 13% | 14% | 61% | |
| Florida | 2% | 7% | 14% | 15% | 62% | |
| Tennessee | 3% | 10% | 12% | 13% | 62% | |
| New Mexico | 1% | 12% | 11% | 14% | 63% | |
| Oklahoma | 4% | 7% | 13% | 14% | 63% | |
| Texas | 3% | 7% | 12% | 15% | 63% | |
| Indiana | 3% | 8% | 12% | 14% | 64% | |
| Michigan | 2% | 7% | 14% | 13% | 64% | |
| Alaska | 3% | 7% | 10% | 15% | 65% | |
| South Carolina | 3% | 7% | 10% | 14% | 66% | |
| West Virginia | 5% | 5% | 5% | 19% | 66% | |
| Georgia | 3% | 8% | 11% | 12% | 67% | |
| Mississippi | 2% | 7% | 10% | 13% | 69% | |
| Alabama | 2% | 7% | 10% | 12% | 69% | |
| Arkansas | 3% | 5% | 10% | 12% | 70% | |
| Kentucky | 1% | 6% | 11% | 11% | 71% | |
| Louisiana | 4% | 6% | 9% | 9% | 73% | |
Lincoln Park Strategies conducted the poll for Citizens & Scholars (formerly the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation). It involved 41,000 interviews among adults nationwide. The margin of error is approximately ±1.0 percent.
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