Sometimes, I don't like being referred to as an average "American". The average "American" cannot name many (if any) of the Supreme Court Justices. The average "American" doesn't know what the Electoral College does, nor does the average "American" know the Speaker of the House. I don't particularly like being grouped in with them.
Surprisingly, the civic literacy of college students isn't much better. You would think that with the average "American" now having a college degree (or getting there, at least) that civic literacy would be higher. Nope.
In my opinion, the average "American" isn't too interested in how government works. He or she is more concerned with the voting, which is an extremely important civic duty. However, perhaps the votes would count more if one was aware of the process through which government governs, and the actions it executes while in power.
If you think you're a bit more literate than the average "American" when it comes to civics, check out this Civic Literacy Quiz and prove it! You might be surprised at how much (or little) you know.
Jake,
ReplyDeleteI"m sympathetic. And you raise an important caution about over-generalizations. Be alert and call us back from these even as we struggle to make valid generalizations.
Shall we make this quiz a class activity?
LDL
The quiz could be a fun activity- and maybe encourage some to invest more time in learning about the civics of our country!
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