Post by RS Davis on Nov 20, 2003 17:37:34 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]James Harris Wrote:[/glow]
Most Americans apparently think the United States Cabinet is where Laura Bush stores the dishes.
At least, that's what one might conclude after hearing the results of a new national poll conducted by The Polling Company, Inc.
Despite the fact that U.S. Cabinet departments are responsible for innumerable activities that daily touch the life, liberty and property of every American, most citizens can't name them.
Specifically, the poll found that a solid majority (58%) could not name *one* department in the U.S. Cabinet. Not one.
41% could name at least one. But only a miniscule 4% of those surveyed could name five or more of the 19 U.S. Cabinet positions.
Only 1% were able to name at least 11 departments within the President's Cabinet.
No respondent could name all 19 departments.
The poll is all the more shocking when considered alongside another poll conducted by the same polling firm last year. That one found that 64% of Americans could not name a single Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
"These poll numbers would make any high school civics teacher cringe," says Kellyanne Conway, President and CEO of The Polling Company, Inc.
And it gets even worse.
"The differing levels of knowledge according to gender, race and age are astonishing," Conway says. "An incredible 70% of 18-34 year olds failed to specify a single agency or department, and while a majority of men (52%) could name at least one, less than one-third of women (32%) could do the same.
America's government-run schools, it seems, are doing an excellent job of creating a citizenry utterly ignorant of the basic structure of their government, and therefore unable to intelligently criticize it or participate in it.
(Source: The Polling Company, Inc.
www.pollingcompany.com/News.asp?FormMode=ViewReleases&ID=73 )
Most Americans apparently think the United States Cabinet is where Laura Bush stores the dishes.
At least, that's what one might conclude after hearing the results of a new national poll conducted by The Polling Company, Inc.
Despite the fact that U.S. Cabinet departments are responsible for innumerable activities that daily touch the life, liberty and property of every American, most citizens can't name them.
Specifically, the poll found that a solid majority (58%) could not name *one* department in the U.S. Cabinet. Not one.
41% could name at least one. But only a miniscule 4% of those surveyed could name five or more of the 19 U.S. Cabinet positions.
Only 1% were able to name at least 11 departments within the President's Cabinet.
No respondent could name all 19 departments.
The poll is all the more shocking when considered alongside another poll conducted by the same polling firm last year. That one found that 64% of Americans could not name a single Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
"These poll numbers would make any high school civics teacher cringe," says Kellyanne Conway, President and CEO of The Polling Company, Inc.
And it gets even worse.
"The differing levels of knowledge according to gender, race and age are astonishing," Conway says. "An incredible 70% of 18-34 year olds failed to specify a single agency or department, and while a majority of men (52%) could name at least one, less than one-third of women (32%) could do the same.
America's government-run schools, it seems, are doing an excellent job of creating a citizenry utterly ignorant of the basic structure of their government, and therefore unable to intelligently criticize it or participate in it.
(Source: The Polling Company, Inc.
www.pollingcompany.com/News.asp?FormMode=ViewReleases&ID=73 )
