Why did the colonists fight the British? Most Americans don’t know, according to a new survey.
When was the U.S. Constitution ratified? Which countries did the U.S. fight in World War II? Asked multiple-choice questions from the U.S. Citizenship Test, only 36 percent of Americans passed, according to a national survey by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Sixty percent is a passing score.
While 74 percent of those 65 and over passed, that fell to 19 percent for those under 45.
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.
Most knew the cause of the Cold War. Only 2 percent said “climate change.” And I’d bet most were kidding.
Some the questions are trivial. Does it matter if Americans know how many justices serve on the U.S. Supreme Court? But immigrants seeking naturalization manage to pass the exam.