Public Schools are Failing America

Only one in three Americans (36 percent) can actually pass a multiple choice test consisting of items taken from the U.S. Citizenship Test, which has a passing score of 60.

• Seventy-two percent of respondents either incorrectly identified or were unsure of which states were part of the 13 original states;
• Only 24 percent could correctly identify one thing Benjamin Franklin was famous for, with 37 percent believing he invented the lightbulb;
• Only 24 percent knew the correct answer as to why the colonists fought the British;
• Twelve percent incorrectly thought WWII General Dwight Eisenhower led troops in the Civil War; 6 percent thought he was a Vietnam War general; and
• While most knew the cause of the Cold War, 2 percent said climate change.

Those 65 years and older scored the best, with 74 percent answering at least six in 10 questions correctly. For those under the age of 45, only 19 percent passed with the exam, with 81 percent scoring a 59 percent or lower.