Many of those polled failed to correctly answer basic questions about American independence and the Constitution
Nearly half of Americans don’t know what they’re celebrating on the Fourth of July, according to a shocking poll.
July 4 marks the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, but 46% of Americans and 61% of Gen Zers couldn’t tell you that, the Cato Institute’s national survey found.
Celebrations are taking place across the country this holiday weekend, but many Americans failed to correctly answer basic questions about the history of U.S. independence and the Constitution in the poll of 2,253 Americans aged 18 and older.
While I have read the Declaration of Independence, it was well before President Pedo’s first term, and I don’t have it memorized.
I was making breakfast a few days ago and listening to the History That Doesn’t Suck podcast. For the lead up to the 4th, they read the Declaration of Independence.
Given the opportunity to listen and think about it just then, it was shocking just how many of the offenses the Founding Fathers listed this administration is engaging in.
Bullshit
For those of you not aware of the fundamental bias in this statement, the CATO institute is a far right think tank funded by the Koch Brothers. They would rather say that America is dumb than admit that american policies are a failure.
It’s also published by the Independent, which recently posted a bullshit story where they claimed the average boomer had $42k in student loan debt.
I take any of their headlines with a pile of salt.
Good thing its impossible to actually read the story under the ad bukake
In case no one has seen the study, the issue is people don’t know which part of the revolution is tied to independence day, not they are clueless of what is going on.
In multiple choice responses were:
53% Adoption of Declaration of Independance
23% unsure
8% Ratification of Constitution
6% Victory of the Revolutionary War
5% Election of first President
3% Prilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock
1% Founding of Jamestown
I knew there had to be an issue with the study. I have very little faith in America, but unless they polled 1-year-olds, there’s no way so many people wouldn’t understand what’s it’s at least about, even if not what specifically. Especially after so much 250th birthday advertising.
It’s worse, they didn’t actually ask about the 4th.
“To the best of your knowledge, which of the following best describes what America’s 250th anniversary commemorates?”
Yeah the 4th is the day, but plenty of people might reasonably be less certain given the options listed and the fact that the anniversary has been talked about in general terms in the media for weeks.
Well, I guess you can be glad more than half got it right.
I appreciate the 23% willing to just admit they don’t know, and the 8% are kind of close. That 3% who things pilgrims are why can fuck off, though.
I guess it depends on how you define “kinda close” since the Constitution didn’t start getting drafted until a decade later
Except if your read the actual survey questions they don’t ask about the 4th. They ask what “America’s 250th anniversary celebration” is about. And any of the answers is valid then
I thought it was Trump’s birthday, right?
Celebrating hamburgers!
I don’t give a fuck what the Cato Institute finds. They can shut the fuck up and get back to gargling Newt Gingrich’s balls while he’s still breathing.
Oh man, I thought they meant Americans felt ambivalent as they wrestled with the promise of the american experiment, held up against the reality of our history and the revealed flaws in our society and system of government. And I was like “yeah, I get it”.
Turns out we’re just dumb, lol
Same. We’re just projecting into the headline. I’m quite ambivalent today.
Of course we do it’s when George Washington took over the airports and rammed the ramparts after Hitler invaded Boston Market and teabagged everyone
Don’t forget when dinosaurs attacked the un
Sorry but I can’t see Cato without adding Sicarius to the end.
As others have said, the Cato institute who published this study, is a right-wing think tank and propaganda organization. This study is meant to reinforce conservative circlejerking about the country is going to shit and they are the only True Patriots who can save it.
Would that be the same right-wingers who have been underfunding and attacking public education for decades?
The ones who elected Mister “I love the poorly educated”?
release of the Epstein files
Garbage survey designed to illicit a bad result that they’ll toss around to rile the base.
I celebrate that finger I blew off last year while I was celebrating that finger I blew of the year before.
America! Fuck yeah!
To avoid losing fingers, hold the fireworks in your mouth while you light them.
We will not go quietly into the night. We will not vanish without a fight. We’re going to live on. We’re going to survive. Today, we celebrate our independence day.
– George Washington or something (according to half the country)
- Michael Scott
