On the first day of his American National Government class, Prof. Kevin Dopf asks how many of his students are United States citizens. Every hand shoots up.
“So, how did all you people become citizens?” he asks. “Did you pass a test?”
“No,” one young woman says tentatively. “We were born here.”
It’s a good thing. Based on his years of making his students at the University of South Carolina Beaufort take the test given to immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship, most would be rejected.
Most states require some sort of high school civics instruction. But with surveys showing that a third of American adults can’t name the three branches of the federal government, and one in which 10% of college graduates think Judith Sheindlin – TV’s “Judge Judy” – serves on the U.S. Supreme Court, many think we should be aiming higher.
Here’s an AP citizenship quiz, if you want to test your knowledge.
I got them all right, including the number of Representatives, which is something that Jill Stein (who is actually running for president) didn’t know.
- But I knew that because I read about her dumbass answer. But I thought it was 140 before, so I was still more correct than her and I’m not even running for president.
I’m now announcing my candidacy. Vote some_guy.
I only got 50%, phew. Guess I won’t have to move to the US any time soon.
Imagine if knowing about US civics ended with people getting conscripted as immigrants.
“NO, PLEASE, NOT AMERICA”
“WE NEED YOUR CIVIC KNOWLEDGE”
I’d have got 100%, but I misread the date on the first one.
Woo! Got a 100!
I got 9/10. Maybe I could migrate to the US.
Maybe wait until November before you make a decision
10/10 and most cases didn’t even need to see the choices.
E. Pleb Nista!
The AP citizenship quiz shouldn’t be AP, it should be a requirement to graduate.
I think ap doesn’t mean advanced placement, but associated press. Or I got whooshed.
It is the Associated Press. Damn, I should have clarified that. My bad.
One would think the apnews.com link and Associated Press site would be a good indicator.
Oops. I stand by my general statement. Passing a civics quiz should be required to graduate high school.
US history and US govt are required courses in most high schools. The information they teach is generally what would be on the citizenship test
Yes. And other standardized test subjects are taught in classes.
Most states (perhaps all of them?) require at least a year of US history to get a HS diploma. They do not guarantee the students retain the knowledge after passing the class, of course.
A year of U.S. history and a civics class are in no way the same.
This is exactly what the republicans strive for.
Last year, North Carolina Republicans introduced the REACH Act, an acronym for “Reclaiming College Education on America’s Constitutional Heritage.” The bill required undergraduates to take at least three credit hours in American government and read a series of major U.S. history documents, from the Declaration of Independence to Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” They would also have to pass a final exam worth 20% of the final grade.
Per the article
Not shocking, the level of understanding the average person on here has on the topic of civics is downright depressing.
Don’t give Trump any ideas.
2 out of 10, but then I’m a Brit so I’m chuffed I got any!
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