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FrankRep
02-19-2008, 02:55 PM
Students don't grasp U.S. history

Washington Times
February 18, 2008


Today is Presidents Day, so it's an appropriate time to see who has a good handle on national history or government. If you think, however, the nation's college students have the most knowledge on the subjects, think again.

College freshmen earned an average grade of F, or just 53.7 percent, when asked a series of questions about U.S. presidents and key historical events from their times in office. After four years of college, their knowledge didn't improve much.

College seniors got just 55.4 percent on the 60-question quiz given to 14,000 students at 50 colleges and universities across the country as part of a study designed to test their knowledge of America's history, government, international relations and market economy.

"In this election, we are focusing on the youth vote, and it's great that more kids are coming out to vote. But we worry that it's become a kind of cult of personality," says Richard Brake, director of the Lehrman American Studies Center at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute in Wilmington, Del., which commissioned the civic learning study, conducted by researchers at the University of Connecticut's Department of Public Policy.

"If these kids don't know what has happened in the past, our history, then we fear they are going to be fodder for sweeping rhetoric," said Mr. Brake, a former professor who taught American history and government for seven years.

...

Why should anyone care? Because of the global diplomatic climate, nation's future remains at stake, Mr. Brake argues.
..


Full Story:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080218/NATION/812094881/1002

familydog
02-19-2008, 04:33 PM
I've seen studies that also suggest that Ivy-League schools produce more stupid graduates than your avereage state school or community college. As far as history and civics go. You pay for prestige in those schools, thats about it.

Matt Collins
02-19-2008, 05:16 PM
Yeah - the government schools produce government "educated" people. The government runs our schools like they are running Iraq, Iran, Cuba, Katrina, etc... This is all the more reason that the government should be OUT of the education business.

Oh, and the government LIKES to keep people uneducated because an ignorant populace is less resistant to government intrusion.

nate895
02-19-2008, 05:42 PM
I bet you most of us would get an "A" on that test.

Hoover Dog 1957
02-19-2008, 07:45 PM
I just took the test and scored a 75%. I missed 15 questions out of 60. I feel a little ashamed but I haven't attended college since 1981 and my last American history class was in 1977 when I was a freshman.

Here are three questions I missed. Let me know how you would answer. No fair peeking at the answers.

53. National defense is considered a public good because:

a) a majority of citizens value it.

b) a resident can benefit from it without directly paying for it.

c) military contracts increase employment opportunities.

d) a majority of citizens support the military during war.

e) airport security personnel are members of the Federal civil service.

54. Keynesian economists conclude that the recession phase of a business cycle:

a) involves a lower unemployment rate.

b) occurs when investment spending crowds out consumer spending.

c) can be eliminated by government taxing more than it spends.

d) can be reversed by government spending more than it taxes.

e) can be reversed with higher interest rates.

55. Over the past forty years, real income among American households has:

a) remained the same when averaged over all households.

b) involved the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

c) involved the poor getting richer and the rich getting poorer.

d) decreased for the middle class and increased for the upper class.

e) increased for the lower and middle classes and increased most for the upper class.

nate895
02-19-2008, 07:55 PM
I just took the test and scored a 75%. I missed 15 questions out of 60. I feel a little ashamed but I haven't attended college since 1981 and my last American history class was in 1977 when I was a freshman.

Here are three questions I missed. Let me know how you would answer. No fair peeking at the answers.

53. National defense is considered a public good because:

a) a majority of citizens value it.

b) a resident can benefit from it without directly paying for it.

c) military contracts increase employment opportunities.

d) a majority of citizens support the military during war.

e) airport security personnel are members of the Federal civil service.

54. Keynesian economists conclude that the recession phase of a business cycle:

a) involves a lower unemployment rate.

b) occurs when investment spending crowds out consumer spending.

c) can be eliminated by government taxing more than it spends.

d) can be reversed by government spending more than it taxes.

e) can be reversed with higher interest rates.

55. Over the past forty years, real income among American households has:

a) remained the same when averaged over all households.

b) involved the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

c) involved the poor getting richer and the rich getting poorer.

d) decreased for the middle class and increased for the upper class.

e) increased for the lower and middle classes and increased most for the upper class.

Where can I take the full test?

Matt Collins
02-19-2008, 08:05 PM
Where can I take the full test?http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080217/NATION/110237217/1001

Uriel999
02-19-2008, 08:15 PM
It's very true to an extent. However, as a history student at University of West Florida, I'll vouch for them when I say they have an excellent history department. But of course outside of the history department...man, they don't know their history at all. Oh god, and when I talk to people about history and I hear their responses especially when involvement with politics as well...it gets bad. I guess it is just they are only remembering what little they got out of k-12 grades. I swear, they don't start teaching you real history until you get into college. I noted something interesting this election as well, out of my friends it was the history, english, and accounting/business majors I converted to Ron Paul, not any of my friends in sciences majors...They all want Obama. Oh, wait, sweeping rhetoric you say?

billyjoeallen
02-19-2008, 08:47 PM
took the test- Scored 92%!!!! take that, Harvard.

New Governor Of Alaska
02-19-2008, 08:57 PM
In the Soviet Union the Comminists tried to teach very special kind of history - they said that before 1917 (the year when the Bolshevik revolution took place) not much was happening...
I think the US "education" system has the same kind of approach:

http://www.deliberatedumbingdown.com/images/ddd_lineLt.gif

www.deliberatedumbingdown.com

nate895
02-19-2008, 09:16 PM
55/60 was my score.

MJfromCT
02-19-2008, 09:25 PM
43/60 72% Not bad for all public education and self education

Aidyl
02-19-2008, 09:53 PM
I wonder how John McCain would do on the economic part?

Matt Collins
02-19-2008, 10:04 PM
I scored 84% :o

clouds
02-19-2008, 10:42 PM
47/60 78%... sweet, although missing the first one(i thought it might have been started at the beginning of the 1500s, instead of 1600s) makes me feel really stupid.

Crowish
02-19-2008, 10:51 PM
I got 75%. I'm 40 and went to public schools and an HBCU.

clouds
02-19-2008, 11:00 PM
the funny thing is that I probably learned most of this information in 8th grade in a private school.

spudea
02-19-2008, 11:05 PM
US history is for junior high or highschool. In college you learn WORLD history... Theres way more important things to study in order to understand the current times we are in, such as Rome, Greece, France, England, Germany, Russia.

spudea
02-19-2008, 11:19 PM
"19. In The Republic, Plato points to the desirability of:"

How is that US history?

Agent CSL
02-19-2008, 11:48 PM
39/60

Age 18, HS drop out.... I guess the reading I've been doing hasn't been good enough.

Mitt Romneys sideburns
02-20-2008, 01:03 AM
Epic fail

3. The Constitution of the United States established what form of government?

a) Direct democracy

b) Populism

c) Indirect democracy

d) Oligarchy

e) Aristocracy

None of the above. The US Constitution establishes a federal republic.

HOLLYWOOD
02-20-2008, 01:07 AM
The government is NOW TEACHING TO "THEIR" HISTORY.

Just look at the history the STATE DEPT list on the founding fathers and ALL the controversial portions "THEIR" delete.

This US GOVERNMENT acts just as evil as any COMMUNIST NATION... just more POLISHED UP FRONT!

Mitt Romneys sideburns
02-20-2008, 01:10 AM
Its not a government conspiracy, its popular opinion. These politicians dont fall out of the sky, they come from us. Bullshit in -> bullshit out.

The American people have only themselves to blame.

Matt Collins
02-20-2008, 10:10 AM
I actually CLEP'd (tested out of) US History 1 and 2 in college because I really didn't want to be in school another semester just to take US history; I was tired of being poor and eating ramen.

My trick was I bought the text book and read the first half very very closely, took the US H 1 test and passed and then did the same with the second half and US H 2.

Matt Collins
02-20-2008, 10:12 AM
Epic fail


None of the above. The US Constitution establishes a federal republic.
Yeah there were a couple of questions that were like that but overall it seemed fairly accurate besides those.

John of Des Moines
02-20-2008, 12:39 PM
52 of 60 - that's 86.666666666......% And there's a couple of one's I questioned the phrasing and / or answers.

IRO-bot
02-20-2008, 12:43 PM
39/60

Age 18, HS drop out.... I guess the reading I've been doing hasn't been good enough.

Bah, You've got beauty. This is america. You don't need to be smart. :rolleyes:
Joke.

lavis88
02-20-2008, 02:05 PM
I'm 20 and a college sophmore - 65%:(

I just happened to see this as one of the quotes of the day on my google page:

"Liberty without learning is always in peril; learning without liberty is always in vain."
-John F. Kennedy

jason43
02-21-2008, 05:45 AM
86.7% for me... Not bad for just being a Wikipedia junkie.

hawks4ronpaul
02-21-2008, 07:13 AM
See http://www.bullnotbull.com/gallery/g-bush-harvard-mba.html


http://hawks4ronpaul.blogspot.com/