A shocking number of college students have ‘little idea’ about how government works: survey

They were educated.

American college students have little basic knowledge of U.S. history, lawmaking and government, according to a new poll of no-nonsense civics questions.

“Students today are woefully underprepared for participation in our democratic republic, as these results show,” said Bradley Jackson of the American Council of Administrators and Alumni, who administered the 35-question survey called America’s Memory Loss 2.0.

“Our form of government requires citizens who understand its nature and history,” Jackson continued in a press release. “It shouldn’t be possible to get a bachelor’s degree without learning the basics of American history and government, but that’s the norm on our college campuses.”

Some of the most embarrassing findings were that only 27% of the more than 3,000 young researchers knew that Vice President Kamala Harris also sits as president of the Senate — a key role in breaking deadlocked votes. Meanwhile, only 28% of college kids were aware that the 13th Amendment was what ended slavery.

In contrast, 89% knew that Jeff Bezos runs Amazon.

And, despite the recent impeachment of President Donald Trump — and speculation that Joe Biden could face a similar fate — only 32% of respondents were aware of such a trial taking place before the Senate.

Meanwhile, only 35% of brains knew that Mike Johnson of Louisiana was the speaker of the House of Representatives, and 60% did not know the term limits of the legislative branch in years.

This is an important issue to think about, given that only 32% knew that the legislative branch had the power to declare war. Nearly half of college students thought this was the President’s executive authority.

A 51% majority also thought the Constitution was drafted in 1776, and 44% thought President Thomas Jefferson was the “father of the Constitution” rather than President James Madison.

“American colleges and universities need to step up and take responsibility for this sorry state of affairs,” Jackson added.

“They should lead the way to a renewal of civic education, rather than exacerbating polarization and flattening our discourse with illiberal ideologies.”

Here are some important civics facts that college students have gotten horribly wrong:

• A scant 35% recognize Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House
• 60% do not know the length of the mandate of the US Congress (two years)
• 37% are aware that John Roberts is Chief Justice – 16% thought Clarence Thomas
• 32% know that impeachment proceedings take place in the Senate
• A scant 28% know that the 13th Amendment abolished slavery
• Only 31% knew that James Madison was the “Father of the Constitution”
• 23% knew the phrase “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”, is from President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.