New survey claims to show lack of knowledge of American history, civics among college students
'[S]ignificant numbers of college students graduate without even a rudimentary grasp of America’s history and political system,' according to the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.
The survey was conducted by College Pulse and was released by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni on July 8.
A recent survey found that many college students graduate from their schools “without even a rudimentary grasp of America’s history and political system,” reinforcing concerns that colleges have been ineffective at giving students education with real academic value.
The survey, published on July 8, was conducted by College Pulse, an analytics company focused on college students. The survey was released by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), an independent, nonprofit organization committed to academic freedom.
“The dismal results of our survey show that current students and recent college graduates have little idea of the American past or its core principles and values, no guide to take them through the roiling controversies facing us today or to enable them to defend and protect the free institutions that are the glory of our nation and an inspiration to the world,” ACTA President Michael Poliakoff remarked.
College graduates “cannot uphold what they do not comprehend,” Poliakoff concluded.
The survey found that “just over one-quarter (27%) of students correctly identify Kamala Harris as the president of the Senate” and that “almost one-third of students think senators serve a four-year term.”
“Just over one-third (37%) of students correctly identify John Roberts as the chief justice of the Supreme Court,” the survey concluded, also finding that “[l]ess than one-third (31%) of students correctly identify James Madison as the Father of the Constitution.”
The study also found that less than one-third of students know “that the legislative branch has the power to declare war,” only one-quarter of students know “that the 13ᵗʰ Amendment freed slaves,” and less than one-third know when the U.S. Constitution was written.
“More than one-third of students are not sure who the Speaker of the House of Representatives is,” the survey found. The findings also indicate that less than one-quarter of American students “know that the Gettysburg Address is the source of the phrase, ‘Government of the people, by the people, for the people.’”
The survey was conducted in June 2024 and included responses from more than 3,000 college and university students.
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“Students today are sadly unprepared for participation in our democratic republic, as these results show,” Bradley Jackson, ACTA Vice President of Policy, said. “It should not be possible to get a bachelor’s degree without learning the basics of American history and government, but this is the norm on our college campuses.”
“American colleges and universities must step up and take responsibility for this sorry state of affairs,” Jackson continued. “They must lead the way toward a renewal of civic education, rather than aggravating polarization and flattening our discourse with illiberal ideology.”
Campus Reform has contacted the American Council of Trustees and Alumni for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
