Are You Smarter Than An Arizona High School Student?

Tuesday 06-30-2009 4:21pm MT
The Goldwater Institute recently released a new report that said only 3.5 percent of Arizona high school students have learned enough history, government and geography necessary to pass the U.S. Citizenship test.

1,140 students from Arizona high schools were asked ten questions that were on the exam given to people applying for U.S. citizenship.

According to the report, only 40 students out of a sample of 1,134 Arizona public high school students quizzed passed the test.

Below are the questions they were asked. Do you know the correct answers?

1) What is the supreme law of the land?

2) What do we call the first 10 amendments of the Constitution?

3) What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?

4) How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

5) Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

6) What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?

7) What are the two major political parties in the United States?

8) We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?

9) Who was the first President of the United States?

10) Who is in charge of the Executive Branch?

Highlight below to get answers:

1) What is the supreme law of the land?
Answer: The Constitution (29.5% of those quizzed got this question correct)

2) What do we call the first 10 amendments of the Constitution?
Answer: The Bill of Rights (25% of those quizzed got this question correct)

3) What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
Answer: Senate and House (23% of those quizzed got this question correct)

4) How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
Answer: Nine (9.4% of those quizzed got this question correct)

5) Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: Jefferson (25.3% of those quizzed got this question correct)

6) What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
Answer: Atlantic (58.8% of those quizzed got this question correct)

7) What are the two major political parties in the United States?
Answer: Republican and Democrat (49.6% of those quizzed got this question correct)

8) We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
Answer: Six (14.5% of those quizzed got this question correct)

9) Who was the first President of the United States?
Answer: Washington (26.5% of those quizzed got this question correct)

10) Who is in charge of the Executive Branch?
Answer: The President (26% of those quizzed got this question correct)

Stop it Virgil. That just made me sick to my stomach.

I was questionable on the SC justices, but did get it right.

10 for 10.

Still makes me sick looking at those statistics.

I was wrong on the first one, I put down a gun

I also got 10 for 10. The 2 I got right, but wasn't 100% sure on were 1 and 5. I knew the Constitution was the "Supreme Law", but hadn't ever thought of it in that wording. Gun is also a good answer and should be considered correct. On question 5 I was thinking Ben Franklin for some reason, but did make Thomas Jefferson my final answer.

If anyone listens to 550 KFYI, this topic is all they've been talking about for the last 2 days. Unbelievable that only 40 of 1134 AZ HS students could get 6 out of 10 questions right. Yeah, you only need to get 60% to become a US citizen. 1094 AZ HS students in this survey couldn't even pass a citizenship test.

K7AZV wrote:I also got 10 for 10. The 2 I got right, but wasn't 100% sure on were 1 and 5. I knew the Constitution was the "Supreme Law", but hadn't ever thought of it in that wording. Gun is also a good answer and should be considered correct. On question 5 I was thinking Ben Franklin for some reason, but did make Thomas Jefferson my final answer.

If anyone listens to 550 KFYI, this topic is all they've been talking about for the last 2 days. Unbelievable that only 40 of 1134 AZ HS students could get 6 out of 10 questions right. Yeah, you only need to get 60% to become a US citizen. 1094 AZ HS students in this survey couldn't even pass a citizenship test.

honestly though this isnt really taught in HS. They dont go in depth about this and most kids just learn it for the test then forget it

I was taught most of that stuff by 3rd grade.

K7AZV wrote:I was taught most of that stuff by 3rd grade.

in AZ?

offroadaz wrote:in AZ?

No, I went to K-12 and college in Iowa. I don't think that should matter though. Every US citizen should get 10/10 correct.

I agree. We even learned it in Arkansas, in between deer seasons. It was called Civics and we had it in 5th grade. We learned about the federal government and the state history and state government.

alanzona wrote:I agree. We even learned it in Arkansas, in between deer seasons. It was called Civics and we had it in 5th grade. We learned about the federal government and the state history and state government.

Yep, thats sort of my point. Its taught in grade school. Not highschool. Most kids forget what they learned in grade school if its not used in everyday situations.

Make that 41 out of 1,134 students. :rockon:

Got 9 out of 10. The only one I missed was #8, I thought it was 4 yrs.:red|

another factor this report doesnt account for is the large influx of immigrants from mexico who never had this taught to them in mexico, now they enter as HS students and its all brand new