U.S Officials Flunk History Test
Agence France-Presse From Correspondents in Washington
Ordinary citizens did not fare much better, scoring just 49 per cent correct on the 33 exam questions compiled by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI).
"It is disturbing enough that the general public failed ISI's civic literacy test, but when you consider the even more dismal scores of elected officials, you have to be concerned," said Josiah Bunting, chairman of the National Civic Literacy Board at ISI.
"How can political leaders make informed decisions if they don't understand the American experience?" he said.
The exam questions covered American history, the workings of the US government and economics.
Among the questions asked of some 2500 people who were randomly selected to take the test, including "self-identified elected officials", was one which asked respondents to "name two countries that were our enemies during World War II".
Sixty-nine per cent of respondents correctly identified Germany and Japan. Among the incorrect answers were Britain, China, Russia, Canada, Mexico and Spain.
Forty per cent of respondents, meanwhile, incorrectly believed that the US president has the power to declare war, while 54 per cent correctly answered that that power rests with Congress.
Asked about the electoral college, 20 per cent of elected officials incorrectly said it was established to "supervise the first televised presidential debates".
In fact, the system of choosing the US president via an indirect electoral college vote dates back some 220 years, to the US Constitution.
The question that received the fewest correct responses, just 16 per cent, tested respondents' basic understanding of economic principles, asking why "free markets typically secure more economic prosperity than government's centralised planning?"
Activities that dull Americans' civic knowledge include talking on the phone and watching movies or television - even news shows and documentaries, ISI said.
Meanwhile, civic knowledge is enhanced by discussing public affairs, taking part in civic activities and reading about current events and history, the group said.