I don’t mean to make excuses for the Americans Jay interviews, but he looks for idiots and we only se the idiots he interviews.
We don’t see the ones who know the answers.
Very true. However, every day I run into college-educated folk that would have had trouble with some of those questions. If a person never studies a subject (in school or simply as a self-motivated seeker of truth), then he or she will remain ignorant.
One year, the incoming freshman of a well-known college were given blank a map of the state they were in and asked to put an “X” where they were. Most could not; some with the excuse that they had come in by airplane.
Recently in my nursing class ( new career - very competive to gain entry) our teacher had a gimme question on our test on July 6th.
Here’s the question
American gained it’s independance from France on July 4, 1776. True or False.
She made it worth 10 points ( a full letter grade)
25% of the class got it wrong...
We as a class were appalled, then analyzed who missed it.
EVERYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 28 GOT IT WRONG.
If you were 28 or older - you got it right.
These were people from all over the counry, so it’s not just one school system. They just didn’t know, and suprise, generally didn’t care to know.
Whatever happened to civics in the school system?
Note also that some of our politicians think that we have 57 states and other politicians think that Arizona does not share a border with Mexico.
And a lot of people will say stupid things just to get on TV. Everyone knows if Jay Leno approaches you with a microphone, the easiest way to get on TV is to answer his questions incorrectly.