Texans are not performing well on a quiz based on the U.S. Citizenship exam, according to a recently published study by The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.
In the study, only 37 percent of Texans passed the quiz -- meaning 63 percent got an "F." What's worse, only 3 percent got an "A," 7 percent got a "B," 12 percent earned a "C," and 15 percent slipped by with a "D."
In all, 41,000 Americans were surveyed. The best-performing state on the list was Vermont where 53 percent of test-takers passed. Texas wasn't the worst, thankfully - that distinction went to our neighbor to the east, Louisiana, where only 27 percent passed.
“Unfortunately, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation has validated what studies have shown for a century: Americans don’t possess the history knowledge they need to be informed and engaged citizens,” WW Foundation President Arthur Levine said.
Organizers went on to say, "the survey found only 15 percent of American adults could correctly note the year the U.S. Constitution was written (1787) and only 25 percent knew how many amendments there are to the U.S. Constitution (27). Further, 25 percent did not know that freedom of speech was guaranteed under the First Amendment, and 57 percent did not know that Woodrow Wilson was the commander in chief during World War I.
The survey is said to be easier than the test given to those looking to naturalize.
Online: State-by-state rankings
Online: Take the test
