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Americans Flunk Simple 3-Question Political Survey
LiveScience.com ^ | 10/16/08 | LiveScience.com

Posted on 10/16/2008 7:43:09 AM PDT by Artemis Webb

Some news audiences are more politically savvy than others, according to a new poll, with readers of The New Yorker and similar high-brow magazines being the most knowledgeable.

The survey, conducted between April 30 and June 1 by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, measured the political knowledge of 3,612 U.S. adults. Participants were asked to name the controlling party of the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. secretary of state and Great Britain's prime minister.

Overall, just 18 percent of participants answered all three questions correctly.

More than 50 percent of Americans knew that the Democrats have a majority in the House, while 42 percent could identify the secretary of state (Condoleezza Rice). Less than 30 percent could name the prime minister of Great Britain (Gordon Brown).

snip

Here's a detailed breakdown of the percentage of individuals answering each of the three questions correctly from the different news audiences:

The New Yorker/Atlantic: 71 percent (correctly identified Democrats as the majority in the House), 71 percent (correctly identified Condeleeza Rice), 59 percent (correctly identified Gordon Brown) NPR: 73 percent, 72 percent, 57percent Hannity & Colmes: 84 percent, 73 percent, 49 percent Rush Limbaugh: 83 percent, 71 percent, 41 percent Colbert Report: 73 percent, 65 percent, 49 percent Daily Show: 65 percent, 48 percent, 36 percent NewsHour: 66 percent, 52 percent, 47 percent O'Reilly Factor: 70 percent, 60 percent, 41 percent C-SPAN: 63 percent, 59 percent, 35 percent Letterman/Leno: 51 percent, 42 percent, 31 percent CNN: 59 percent, 48 percent, 29 percent National Enquirer: 44 percent, 32 percent, 22 percent

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Politics/Elections; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: civics; media; sheeple
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Only half of the Letterman/Leno crowd know the Dems control the House. Scary stuff.
1 posted on 10/16/2008 7:43:09 AM PDT by Artemis Webb
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To: Artemis Webb

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the percentage of individuals answering each of the three questions correctly from the different news audiences:

The New Yorker/Atlantic: 71 percent (correctly identified Democrats as the majority in the House), 71 percent (correctly identified Condeleeza Rice), 59 percent (correctly identified Gordon Brown)

NPR: 73 percent, 72 percent, 57percent

Hannity & Colmes: 84 percent, 73 percent, 49 percent

Rush Limbaugh: 83 percent, 71 percent, 41 percent

Colbert Report: 73 percent, 65 percent, 49 percent

Daily Show: 65 percent, 48 percent, 36 percent

NewsHour: 66 percent, 52 percent, 47 percent

O’Reilly Factor: 70 percent, 60 percent, 41 percent

C-SPAN: 63 percent, 59 percent, 35 percent

Letterman/Leno: 51 percent, 42 percent, 31 percent

CNN: 59 percent, 48 percent, 29 percent

National Enquirer: 44 percent, 32 percent, 22 percent


2 posted on 10/16/2008 7:44:25 AM PDT by Artemis Webb (Please pray daily for OUR Sarah.)
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To: Artemis Webb
Less than 30 percent could name the prime minister of Great Britain (Gordon Brown).

I would have given credit for "who cares?".

3 posted on 10/16/2008 7:45:26 AM PDT by Sans-Culotte
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To: Artemis Webb

I got all three (actually, I admit, I only said “Brown” before looking at the question. Gun to my head, I’m sure I’d have added “Gordon”). I must be a genius.


4 posted on 10/16/2008 7:45:57 AM PDT by Tublecane
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To: Artemis Webb
Less than 30 percent could name the prime minister of Great Britain (Gordon Brown).

Eh, Gordon is increasingly irrelevant anyway.

5 posted on 10/16/2008 7:46:09 AM PDT by Thane_Banquo (Just Say No to Senator Government!)
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To: Artemis Webb

I mean before looking at the answer.


6 posted on 10/16/2008 7:47:09 AM PDT by Tublecane
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To: Artemis Webb

I got all 3 - now can I blow some coin on a National Enquirer at the store just for entertainment purposes??


7 posted on 10/16/2008 7:47:32 AM PDT by GnuHere
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To: Artemis Webb

BTT


8 posted on 10/16/2008 7:48:05 AM PDT by AuntB ( "During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." - George Orwell)
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To: Artemis Webb

Lettermen isn’t known for having a very bright audience.


9 posted on 10/16/2008 7:48:47 AM PDT by Tarpon (Barrack Obama will ban all the guns he has the votes for ...)
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To: Tublecane
It is not a big deal to me if people don't know Gordon Brown. In fact if they have a mental block and can't think of Condie Rice either that's not a big deal. It's control of the House that bothers the hell out of me.
10 posted on 10/16/2008 7:50:28 AM PDT by Artemis Webb (Please pray daily for OUR Sarah.)
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To: Artemis Webb
similar high-brow magazines being the most knowledgeable.

It's not just what you know. It's what you do with it. Color me unimpressed.

11 posted on 10/16/2008 7:52:22 AM PDT by mewzilla (In politics the middle way is none at all. John Adams)
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To: Tarpon

I used to like Letterman. I liked him a lot.

Now he’s just a formarly pretty OK Indiana guy who became a stuck up celebrity ass kissing liberal jerk.


12 posted on 10/16/2008 7:53:05 AM PDT by Artemis Webb (Please pray daily for OUR Sarah.)
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To: Artemis Webb

Seems the path they take these days. When the new wears off, the a$$ kissing begins. All celebrtites suffer the “Madonna is old” problem.

Last time I watched late night comedy was when Johnny Carson signed off — Class act to the end.


13 posted on 10/16/2008 7:55:57 AM PDT by Tarpon (Barrack Obama will ban all the guns he has the votes for ...)
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To: mewzilla

notice in the article text the bias as well..... they mention the magazine readers at being somewhat smarter however Hannity and Rush viewers and listeners score highest yet get no mention of that in the body of the article....?????


14 posted on 10/16/2008 8:00:39 AM PDT by Republic Rocker
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To: Republic Rocker
notice in the article text the bias as well..... they mention the magazine readers at being somewhat smarter however Hannity and Rush viewers and listeners score highest yet get no mention of that in the body of the article....?????

Puts me in mind of this quote...

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.

Benjamin Disraeli

15 posted on 10/16/2008 8:05:19 AM PDT by mewzilla (In politics the middle way is none at all. John Adams)
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To: Artemis Webb

Something tells me the Free Republic audience would have trounced all of these.


16 posted on 10/16/2008 8:10:32 AM PDT by eclecticEel (men who believe deeply in something, even wrong, usually triumph over men who believe in nothing)
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To: Artemis Webb

Isn’t this stuff people should know just from paying minimal attention to what’s going on in their country and the world?


17 posted on 10/16/2008 8:10:54 AM PDT by Southside_Chicago_Republican (Stand up for liberty and the Constitution. Defeat Obama.)
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To: Artemis Webb

FR would be 100/99/85 minimum.


18 posted on 10/16/2008 8:11:52 AM PDT by gridlock (I root for the Yankees. I have had just about enough of "Losing With Class"...)
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To: Republic Rocker

I think they skewed the results with the Brown question. Really, who cares if Americans know that? I don’t. But, more of Hannity/Colms and Rush audiences knew the more important things, although I would rather see what they knew about things like, what form of govt do we have, what the 3 branches do, etc.


19 posted on 10/16/2008 8:12:46 AM PDT by brytlea (Obama--Keep the change!)
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To: Artemis Webb
National Enquirer: 44 percent, 32 percent, 22 percent

LOL!!! Only 44% could name the controlling party in congress. Why, a bunch of monkeys would be at 50%!

20 posted on 10/16/2008 8:17:23 AM PDT by mlocher (USA is a sovereign nation)
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