Americans Ignorant?

Periodically, the Pew Research Center asks Americans a series of knowledge questions. Most Americans are busy, so it’s hardly surprising they don’t pay as much attention to complex policy issues as politicians or pundits do, and they frequently give wrong answers. How much should this worry us? The great sociologist Dan Yankelovich notes that while our democracy is a “prime example of a successfully functioning democracy, it is not a prime example of a well-informed citizenry.” He argues that while reporters delight in showing how ignorant the public generally is, “the public frequently arrives at judgments that are sound, considered, and sometimes profound.” With his wise counsel in mind, we show a few recent results from Pew.

Source: Pew Research Center, October 2009.