Just How Stupid Are We?

[trof]

Only 2 in 5 Americans know which branch of government can declare war.
1 in 5 knows how many senators there are in congress.
And just 1 in 7 can find Iraq on a map.

Just How Stupid Are We?
Facing the Truth About the American Voter
By Rick Shenkman

In this video historian Rick Shenkman discusses the subject of his new book: JUST HOW STUPID ARE WE? FACING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE AMERICAN VOTER (Basic Books, June 2008).

Mr. Shenkman is an associate professor of history at George Mason University and the editor of the History News Network.

http://hnn.us/HowStupidAreWe/media.html

[Stuart G]

1. I tried..taught Americn History for 20 years...

We tried...I taught history in the Chicgao Public Schools, (high school)..for over 27 years..I guess I taught U..S. History for 20 of those years..and I tried. Lots of time on the U.S. Constitution..separation of powers, etc..My students knew, or at least were taught..enuf........................Stuart

[zeos3]

2. I have two close friends that teach history

in the suburbs of Chicago. One is at the college level, the other high school. Any advise I should pass along to them? I frequently forward them threads from DU. They both found the ones about the conspiracy to overthrow FDR interesting. I'm not sure if they mentioned it in class. I don't know what knowledge is taboo in the classroom (how far they can stray from the text book), that's why I ask for advice.

[annabanana]

5. The most important thing that History teachers can teach is that

their students will be responsible for running the country. There are responsibilities that come with being a Citizen of the United States. Take that miserable chest-thumping phrase "Freedom is Not Free".. usually used to conflate the support of the troops with the support of the administration..

It is not for the troops alone to pay the dues for Freedom in America.

Make sure that they understand that the troops obey the civilian government and the civilian government is supposed to obey US! The "Commander in Chief" is our employee. If he screws up and mis-uses OUR troops he should be run out of town on a rail.

If I ran the world, civics would be taught for an hour a day, in every grade, in every classroom in the country. Every American kid would be able to recite the Bill of Rights by heart. They would all be versed in the basics of Constitutional Law.. . .sigh

[zeos3]

7. Thanks for the reply

I'm told it's a struggle to get the kids to relate their history to what's going on today or in their ipod/cell phone/myspace world. I'm with you on teaching them civics so they can learn about being a citizen.

Let me also say thanks for the work you've done. I've gotten an outsiders perspective on how stressful teaching can be.

[KharmaTrain]

4. Isn't The Constitution Test Still Required?

I started in the Chicago Public Schools...escaped to Suburbia, but I know both my kids had to take Constitution tests to graduate. The sad thing is that while you can impart knowledge, too many file it far away...but then that's also symptomatic with the wholescale myopia of our culture.

Cheers...

[lpbk2713]

3. Well, now that you ask ....

(Present company excluded, of course.)

[bdamomma]

6. the dumbing down of Americans continues

no wonder the rest of the world does this :puke:

[Stuart G]

8. Not as stupid as you may think...here is proof...

We, the U.S. History teacher's of the U.S. taught more than you think..need proof, here it is..

..November 2006, our students, the people of the United States, knew that by electing a different Congress, would get change.
Congress was and is a check on the President..so...in many close states, in spite of obvious cheating..we threw the old crooks out, and put in some new people. ...

checks and balances..............

..Now, where did they get the idea for that/???????????????????????????????????????????????

so there............................

[logosoco]

9. well, i was too stupid to know that I should have stayed in college

while I was young! But I have enough wisdom to know to always question the government and to pay attention. I have taught my kids this and I think they understand (they also understand the basics of how the gov't is supposed to work and I think they know it is not doing things as it should).

IN another post this morning I saw a picture of a woman with a sign that said if Hillary isn't the nominee she would vote Mccain. Now that is stupid! Why do people like that vote? The presidential election isn't a popularity contest!