A survey exposes a gap in basic U.S. history knowledge among college students, many of whom struggle to identify the Father of the Constitution.
A survey conducted by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) reveals a lack of knowledge about basic U.S. history and government among American college students. The survey, titled “Losing America’s Memory,” involved over 3,000 undergraduates and exposed significant gaps in their understanding of foundational civic concepts.
US college students can’t name Father of the Constitution, have shocking gaps in knowledge of civics: survey https://t.co/UnwdUdy0nj pic.twitter.com/auCjshoULq
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Conducted by College Pulse from May to June 2024, the findings are a wake-up call for educational institutions across the nation. Only 31% of students recognized James Madison as the Father of the Constitution, and a mere 27% correctly identified Kamala Harris as the president of the U.S. Senate, the press release stated. The survey also revealed 60% of participants are unaware of the term lengths for U.S. Congress members.
More concerning is the lack of awareness regarding key historical documents and figures. Just 23% knew that the phrase, “Government of the people, by the people, for the people,” is from the Gettysburg Address, and only 28% could identify the 13th Amendment as the legislation that abolished slavery, according to the release.
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 14: A group walks by Sather Tower on the UC Berkeley campus on March 14, 2022 in Berkeley, California. UC Berkeley is set to cut on-campus enrollment by a minimum of 2,500 students for fall enrollment due to an extreme shortage of affordable housing. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Bradley Jackson, ACTA’s Vice President of Policy, expressed his concerns over the survey results. “Students today are sadly unprepared for participation in our democratic republic, as these results show,” Bradley said, the news release states. “Our form of government requires citizens who understand its nature and history. 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.” (RELATED: Majority Of Colleges Tie Diversity, Equity And Inclusion To Graduation Requirements: REPORT)
“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.