The Shaping of The. The Diverging Influences of the College Degree & Civic Learning on American Beliefs

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1 The Shaping of The American Mind The Diverging Influences of the College Degree & Civic Learning on American Beliefs Intercollegiate Studies Institute American Civic Literacy Program

2 What do Americans Believe? Below is a list of the thirty-nine propositions (across six themes) that ISI posed to 2,508 randomly sampled Americans, along with the percentage of respondents who agreed or strongly agreed with each proposition. The report that follows details how college and civic knowledge shape these American beliefs. (See Appendix C for endnotes.) American Ideals and Institutions % agree America is a model of freedom and justice for the world % America corrupts otherwise good people With hard work and perseverance anyone can succeed in America American government should do more to solve international problems Republicans and Democrats are similar in their beliefs Competitive political parties improve public policy America s Founding documents are obsolete Higher Education Colleges should prepare citizen leaders by teaching America s history, its key texts, and its institutions Educators should focus on teaching the technical skills for competing in the global economy Universities should ensure a balance of liberal and conservative views among faculty Educators should instill more doubt in students and reject certainty Universities should allow students to live in a dorm room with the opposite sex Legislators should suspend all tax dollars for a college after its endowment exceeds one billion dollars Legislators should subsidize a college in proportion to its students learning about America A person s evaluation of a nation improves with his or her understanding of that nation Immigration and Diversity America is the world s greatest melting pot where people from all countries can unite into one nation Discrimination is the most urgent problem in America Immigration into America should be reduced no matter how well immigrants assimilate Latino immigrants are assimilating well into America Culture and Society Abortion should be available at any stage and for any reason Same-sex couples should be allowed to marry legally America s media covers rival political views fairly Homeschooling families neglect their community obligations Society is identical to government Religion and Faith The Bible is the Word of God The Ten Commandments are irrelevant today Public school teachers should be allowed to lead prayers in school Religion provides indispensable support for self-government Religion and science typically conflict Market Economy and Public Policy Global capitalism produces a few winners and many losers Prosperity depends upon entrepreneurs and free markets Taxing the rich to help the poor reduces work and investment Government regulation does more good than harm Government must act to curb global warming Profit accrues to those organizations that help people The free market brings about full employment Raising the minimum wage decreases employment Local zoning laws improve communities The American Founders opposed universal health care. 28.3

3 The Shaping of The American Mind The Diverging Influences of the College Degree & Civic Learning on American Beliefs i i i i A Report by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute s National Civic Literacy Board December 2009 i i i i T. Kenneth Cribb Jr. President, ISI Intercollegiate Studies Institute 3901 Centerville Road Wilmington, DE (302) w w w. a m e r i c a n c i v i c l i t e r a c y. o r g

4 A Look Back At ISI s Previous Civic Literacy Studies College Adds Little to Americans Knowledge of Their History and Institutions Below are summaries of the major findings from ISI s civic literacy reports in 2007 and Both reports found that an expensive college education has very little positive impact on overall civic knowledge. In 2007, ISI administered a basic sixty-question multiple-choice exam on American history, government, foreign affairs, and economics to over 7,000 freshmen and 7,000 seniors from fifty colleges and universities nationwide. Below are the major findings from this path-breaking report: In 2008, ISI administered a thirty-three-question test (many questions coming from the U.S. citizenship and NAEP exams) to 2,508 randomlysampled Americans in order to further isolate the independent impact of a college education on a graduate s civic knowledge. Below are the findings: College Seniors Failed a Basic Test on America s History and Institutions The average score for college seniors was 54.2% an F. Colleges Stall Student Learning about America The average student gained an anemic 3.8 percentage points from freshman to senior year. Negative Learning at Many of America s Most Prestigious Universities For example, at Cornell, Yale, Duke, and Princeton, the freshmen did better than the seniors. Inadequate College Curriculum Contributes to Failure The average college senior has only taken four courses in history, political science, and economics. Greater Civic Learning Goes Hand-in-Hand with More Active Citizenship Students who gain more civic knowledge during college are more likely to vote and engage in other civic activities than students who gain less. Americans Fail the Test of Civic Literacy 71% of Americans failed ISI s civic literacy test. For example, only 49% were able to name all three branches of government. Americans Agree that Colleges Should Teach America s History and Institutions Over 70% of all Americans, including supermajorities of liberals and conservatives, believe colleges should perform this basic civic function. College Adds Little to Civic Knowledge College graduates earned a 57%, an F, on ISI s test, and college alone adds less than two percentage points per year to a graduate s overall score. Television and Other Passive Electronic Media Reduce Overall Civic Knowledge Watching TV news, watching movies at home, and talking on the phone degrade American civic literacy. College Graduates Ignorant of America s Founding History, Constitution, and Economics College graduates are particularly deficient in their knowledge of pre-twentieth-century events and themes, as well as market economics.

5 The Shaping of The American Mind Contents Introduction 6 A Profile of the American Mind 9 Executive Summary 12 Major Finding 1: While College Fails to Adequately Transmit Civic Knowledge, It Influences Opinion on Polarizing Social Issues 14 Major Finding 2: Compared to College, Civic Knowledge Exerts a Broader and More Diverse Influence on the American Mind 16 Major Finding 3: Civic Knowledge Increases a Person s Regard for America s Ideals and Free Institutions 18 Additional Finding: How College Teaching Alters the Public Beliefs of Professors 20 Conclusion 22 Survey development and Methodology 24 Appendix A: Civic Knowledge Questions 26 Appendix B: Factors Shaping Americans Political Orientation 28 Appendix C: Endnotes for Opinion Propositions 29 About ISI 30

6 6 The shaping of the American Mind Introduction Almost all governments have therefore made it a principal object of their attention, to establish and endow with proper revenues, such seminaries of learning as might supply the succeeding age with men qualified to serve the public with honor to themselves and to their country. Benjamin Franklin, A Proposal Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania In 1749, Benjamin Franklin was worried. Surveying the landscape of Penn s Woods, he looked in vain for what he termed an academy where the rising generation of Pennsylvanians might receive the accomplishments of a regular education. Franklin was particularly concerned that there was a want of persons so qualified for public offices of trust as well as schoolmasters to teach children reading, writing, arithmetic, and the first principles of virtue and piety. So he wrote a pamphlet entitled A Proposal Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania, laying out his arguments for a project that would later become the University of Pennsylvania. Franklin s curriculum was designed to teach the principles and institutions that had produced Great Britain s flourishing society. He believed the students should grapple with history to learn how men and their properties are protected by joining in societies and establishing government; their industry encouraged and rewarded, arts invented, and life made more comfortable: the advantages of liberty, mischiefs of licentiousness, benefits arising from good laws and a due execution of justice. He also understood that as a result of a liberal education, questions of right and wrong, justice and injustice, will naturally arise, and may be put to youth, which they may debate in conversation and in writing. In short, Franklin along with leading Founders like Jefferson, Madison, and Washington emphatically believed that America needed colleges that would nurture civic leaders by teaching them their country s history and institutions, and then by encouraging them to think critically and participate effectively in public affairs. Since 2006, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) has been engaged in a multi-year project designed to assess how well America s colleges and universities are doing in preparing their graduates for the kind of informed and responsible citizenship Franklin had in mind. This year s installment, The Shaping of the American Mind: The Diverging Influences of the College Degree & Civic Learning on American Beliefs, seeks to measure for the first time the impact that earning a bachelor s degree and acquiring additional knowledge of America s history and institutions exerts on public opinion. As ISI s previous research has demonstrated, graduating from college and gaining civic knowledge do not necessarily go hand in hand (see page four for summaries of ISI s 2007 and 2008 reports). Whether the focus was on current undergraduates (2007), or adult college graduates at various stages of their careers (2008), ISI s civic literacy research has proven that college graduates are largely ignorant of America s core history and enduring political and economic institutions. But certainly the college experience is not devoid of any civic influence? This pointed to a logical follow-up question: If earning a bachelor s degree does not have a significant impact on civic knowledge, what does it impact relevant to the civic life of our nation? If college students do not absorb knowledge of American history, government, foreign affairs, and market economics, what do they absorb? That is the focus of the study in hand, The Shaping of the American Mind. How does the college experience influence a graduate s attitudes towards the institutions of America s free society? How does earning a college degree affect a person s views on peren-

7 7 nial and current issues of governance and education? Do graduating from college, on the one hand, and gaining civic knowledge, on the other, have similar or differing impacts on a person s views? In addition to thirty-three civic knowledge questions, survey respondents were asked to answer forty-one demographic questions (about their educational attainment, place of residence, age, ethnicity, income, religious affiliation, political orientation, etc.) and whether they strongly agreed, somewhat agreed, were neutral, somewhat d, or strongly d with each of thirty-nine propositions (see page two for a complete listing). These propositions presented points of view on topics ranging across six broad themes: American ideals and institutions, higher education, immigration and diversity, culture and society, religion and faith, and market economy and public policy. Using multivariate regression analyses, ISI was able to determine which demographic characteristics including whether someone had earned a bachelor s degree had an independent, statistically significant impact on a person s views on a particular proposition. If two people otherwise share the same basic characteristics i.e. they are the same age, religion, ethnicity, live in the same part of the country, earn the same income, etc. does the one with a college degree have a different opinion about a particular proposition than the one who does not? And what about those who demonstrate gains in civic knowledge, as measured by ISI s civic literacy exam? What is the independent impact of greater civic knowledge on how an individual approaches those thirty-nine propositions, and how does that impact compare to that of a college degree? Do these two distinct variables move in tandem or at cross-purposes, producing two very different American minds? Neither the survey nor this report presumes right or wrong answers to the thirty-nine opinion propositions presented to the respondents. However, given the civic purpose of higher education, ISI thought it beneficial to share with the American people, who fund and attend our nation s colleges, the intriguing findings of this report. Benjamin Franklin knew instinctively that there was a direct connection between higher education and the relative support among America s leaders for the precious political, economic, and cultural institutions of a free society, and that is why he took such care in crafting a curriculum that would instill a respect for those principles in the hearts and minds of his graduates. How does the current college experience measure up to Franklin s standards? Turn the pages of this report for the answer. Sincerely, T. Kenneth Cribb Jr. Lt. General Josiah Bunting III President, Intercollegiate Studies Institute Chairman, National Civic Literacy Board

8 8 The shaping of the American Mind Americans United on Education, the American Dream, and Founding Documents ISI asked 2,508 Americans whether they strongly agreed (5), agreed (4), were neutral (3), d (2), or strongly d (1) with thirty-nine propositions. Below are all thirty-nine propositions ranked by the strength of American opinion on each, along with whether Americans tended to agree or with each proposition. Strength of opinion on each proposition is the difference between the average response and the neutral position. Rank Of proposition by strength of opinion Agree/ 1 Educators should focus on teaching the technical skills for competing in the global economy. Agree 2 A person s evaluation of a nation improves with his or her understanding of that nation. Agree 3 Colleges should prepare citizen leaders by teaching America s history, its key texts, and its institutions. Agree 4 With hard work and perseverance anyone can succeed in America. Agree 5 America is the world s greatest melting pot where people from all countries can unite into one nation. Agree 6 The Bible is the Word of God. Agree 7 The Ten Commandments are irrelevant today. 8 Abortion should be available at any stage and for any reason. 9 America is a model of freedom and justice for the world. Agree 10 Society is identical to government. 11 America s Founding documents are obsolete. 12 America corrupts otherwise good people. 13 Republicans and Democrats are similar in their beliefs. 14 Government must act to curb global warming. Agree 15 Universities should allow students to live in a dorm room with the opposite sex. 16 America s media covers rival political views fairly. 17 Universities should ensure a balance of liberal and conservative views among faculty. Agree 18 Prosperity depends upon entrepreneurs and free markets. Agree 19 Homeschooling families neglect their community obligations. 20 Same-sex couples should be allowed to marry legally. 21 Educators should instill more doubt in students and reject certainty. 22 Local zoning laws improve communities. Agree 23 Raising the minimum wage decreases employment. 24 Religion and science typically conflict. Agree 25 Public school teachers should be allowed to lead prayers in school. Agree 26 Profit accrues to those organizations that help people. Agree 27 Competitive political parties improve public policy. Agree 28 Discrimination is the most urgent problem in America. 29 Government regulation does more good than harm. 30 The American Founders opposed universal health care. 31 Global capitalism produces a few winners and many losers. Agree 32 American government should do more to solve international problems. 33 Latino immigrants are assimilating well into America. Agree 34 Taxing the rich to help the poor reduces work and investment. 35 The free market brings about full employment. Agree 36 Legislators should suspend all tax dollars for a college after its endowment exceeds one billion dollars. Agree 37 Immigration into America should be reduced no matter how well immigrants assimilate. Disagree 38 Religion provides indispensable support for self-government. Agree 39 Legislators should subsidize a college in proportion to its students learning about America. Disagree

9 9 A Profile of the American Mind: Americans United on the American Dream, Divided on Social Issues In order to better understand the real-world impact of a college degree compared to civic knowledge on American beliefs, ISI first had to establish a baseline for comparison by determining the average opinions of all Americans regarding our country s ideals, institutions, and perennial issues of governance and public policy. Upon doing this, it was discovered that the average American strongly believes in the importance of education and the rewards of hard work. Conversely, American opinion is most divided on social and cultural issues. For this project, ISI surveyed a random sample of 2,508 American adults. In addition to assessing their civic literacy, the survey also asked respondents their opinion (on a 1 to 5 scale) on thirtynine separate propositions. Respondents stated whether they strongly agreed (5), somewhat agreed (4), were neutral (3), somewhat d (2), or strongly d (1) with each proposition. The survey also asked respondents numerous demographic and behavioral questions to determine personal characteristics and their educational history, level of civic engagement, partisan/ideological affiliations, religious attendance, and media habits. The results were then run through multivariate regression analyses, allowing ISI to compare the impact of various factors in a person s life particularly their educational attainment and civic knowledge on their overall attitudes and beliefs. But to begin with, here are some of the more significant findings in terms of the baseline beliefs of the entire U.S. population. Americans Strongly Believe in Education and the American Dream The thirty-nine survey propositions were first ranked by the strength of average American opinion (see page eight). Strength of opinion was de- termined by calculating the difference between the average response to a proposition (somewhere between 1 and 5) and the neutral response of 3. The greater the difference whether in the direction of 5 (strongly agreed) or 1 (strongly d) the stronger the average opinion. Interestingly: The three strongest opinions all involve education. On average, Americans strongly agree that educators should focus on teaching the technical skills for competing in the global economy (No. 1), that a person s evaluation of a nation improves with his or her understanding of that nation (No. 2), and that colleges should prepare citizen leaders by teaching America s history, its key texts, and its institutions (No. 3). Three other top-ten opinions consider America a unique land of opportunity. On average, Americans strongly agree that with hard work and perseverance anyone can succeed in this country (No. 4) and that the United States is the world s greatest melting pot where people from all countries can unite into one nation (No. 5). They also agree that America is a model of freedom and justice for the world (No. 9). Americans Most Divided on Social and Cultural Issues The thirty-nine propositions were also ranked by the degree to which they divide public opinion (see page ten). This was done by determining for each response the standard deviation, which measures the degree to which respondents opinions diverge from the average opinion. As might be expected, none of the thirty-nine propositions perfectly unit-

10 10 The shaping of the American Mind Americans Most Divided on Social and Cultural Issues Listed below are all thirty-nine survey propositions ranked by the degree to which they polarize American opinion. This polarizing effect was calculated by determining the standard deviation, which measures how much the full field of answers to a proposition diverges from the average answer. The higher the standard deviation for a particular proposition, the more polarizing, and thus higher ranked, that proposition is. Rank and proposition 1 Same-sex couples should be allowed to marry legally. 2 Public school teachers should be allowed to lead prayers in school. 3 Immigration into America should be reduced no matter how well immigrants assimilate. 4 Abortion should be available at any stage and for any reason. 5 The Ten Commandments are irrelevant today. 6 Government must act to curb global warming. 7 Raising the minimum wage decreases employment. 8 Universities should allow students to live in a dorm room with the opposite sex. 9 The Bible is the Word of God. 10 America s Founding documents are obsolete. 11 The American Founders opposed universal health care. 12 America corrupts otherwise good people. 13 American government should do more to solve international problems. 14 Taxing the rich to help the poor reduces work and investment. 15 Discrimination is the most urgent problem in America. 16 Religion and science typically conflict. 17 Religion provides indispensable support for self-government. 18 Republicans and Democrats are similar in their beliefs. 19 Universities should ensure a balance of liberal and conservative views among faculty. 20 Legislators should subsidize a college in proportion to its students learning about America. 21 Homeschooling families neglect their community obligations. 22 Global capitalism produces a few winners and many losers. 23 Competitive political parties improve public policy. 24 Legislators should suspend all tax dollars for a college after its endowment exceeds one billion dollars. 25 Educators should instill more doubt in students and reject certainty. 26 The free market brings about full employment. 27 Government regulation does more good than harm. 28 America is a model of freedom and justice for the world. 29 America s media covers rival political views fairly. 30 Latino immigrants are assimilating well into America. 31 With hard work and perseverance anyone can succeed in America. 32 Society is identical to government. 33 Local zoning laws improve communities. 34 Prosperity depends upon entrepreneurs and free markets. 35 America is the world s greatest melting pot where people from all countries can unite into one nation. 36 Colleges should prepare citizen leaders by teaching America s history, its key texts, and its institutions. 37 A person s evaluation of a nation improves with his or her understanding of that nation. 38 Profit accrues to those organizations that help people. 39 Educators should focus on teaching the technical skills for competing in the global economy.

11 11 Americans Also Divided by Party and Ideology ed or divided public opinion. Nevertheless, there were some very clear patterns that emerged from the survey. Propositions involving social and cultural issues are the most polarizing. Americans are most divided over legalizing same-sex marriage (No. 1), allowing teacher-led prayer in public schools (No. 2), reducing immigration (No. 3), and the availability of abortion (No. 4). Americans also are divided on some current economic regulatory issues, including whether government should act to curb global warming (No. 6), and the effects of raising the minimum wage (No. 7). Americans have strong opinions about the documents that are traditionally perceived to be central to the moral and political foundations of the nation, but they also are divided in their opinions on these documents. The average American does not believe that either the Ten Commandments or America s Founding documents are irrelevant or obsolete (only 20% agreed with both claims). Nonetheless, the relevance of the Ten Commandments and America s Founding documents also rank among the top ten issues that divide national opinion, ranking No. 5 and No. 10 respectively. Notably, support for the Founding documents lags among younger Americans. Only 51% of those eighteen to twenty-four compared to 69% of those forty-five to sixty-four believe they remain relevant. Regression analysis reveals that as Americans age, they tend to more confidently believe in the relevance of America s Founding texts. Overall, what both unites and divides Americans will become quite relevant as we now turn to the findings of this report. ISI asked respondents two questions to determine their political orientation: Are you a Democrat, Independent, Republican, or something else? Are you liberal, moderate, or conservative? A respondent s combined answer was then assigned an appropriate relative position on a scale of 1 through 5, with self-identified Democrat liberals placed at 5 and Republican conservatives placed at 1. Between these poles, Democrat moderates and Independent liberals were placed at 4 (left-leaning moderates); Democrat conservatives, Independent moderates, and Republican liberals were placed at 3 (Independent moderates); and Republican moderates and Independent conservatives were placed at 2 (right-leaning moderates). The average American political orientation score was a 2.92 on this scale, just slightly to the right of political center.* Average American (2.92) Democrat Independent Republican liberal moderate conservative *See Appendix B for variables that significantly influence Americans political orientation. Below is a percentage breakdown of the American population according to ISI s political orientation categories: Political % of U.S. Orientation** Population 5 Democrat liberals 12.9% 4 Left-leaning moderates Independent moderates Right-leaning moderates Republican conservatives 19.1 ** 12.9% of respondents, when asked their party identity or political ideology, indicated either something else, no preference, don t know, or refuse to answer.

12 12 The shaping of the American Mind Executive Summary The Shaping of the American Mind: The Diverging Influences of the College Degree & Civic Learning on American Beliefs is the fourth major study from ISI s civic literacy initiative on the relationship between higher education, civic knowledge, and citizenship. Conventional wisdom holds that there is a strong connection between how much people know and how much college education they receive the more college, the more knowledge. ISI s research, however, demonstrates that on most campuses, this seemingly obvious correlation is quite marginal where knowledge of America s history and institutions is concerned. In 2006 and 2007, ISI administered a sixtyquestion multiple-choice exam on knowledge of American history, government, foreign affairs, and market economics to over 14,000 college freshmen and seniors nationwide. In both years, the average freshman and average senior failed the exam. In 2008, ISI expanded the field of study to measure the average independent impact of college on the acquisition of civic literacy among Americans of all ages. A random, representative sample of 2,508 American adults was surveyed to allow comparisons between those with and without college degrees. Respondents were asked thirty-three questions (see page twenty-six for a complete listing), many drawn from U.S. naturalization exams and U.S. Department of Education high school progress tests (NAEP). Seventy-one percent of Americans failed this basic test. The overall average score was only 49%, with college graduates also failing at 57%. If earning a bachelor s degree does not significantly impact civic knowledge, what impact does college have on civic life? To further explore that question, ISI also asked its 2,508 respondents whether they strongly agreed, somewhat agreed, were neutral, somewhat d, or strongly d with each of thirty-nine propositions that covered a broad range of public issues and subjects, including American ideals and institutions, higher education, immigration and diversity, culture and society, religion and faith, and market economy and public policy. Multivariate regression analyses allowed ISI to compare the independent influence that earning a college degree, acquiring more civic knowledge, and other factors in a person s life exert on their views on some of the perennial controversies of our age. That is the focus of this year s report. How does graduating from college or gaining civic knowledge change someone s public views? Read below to find out. Major Finding 1: While College Fails to Adequately Transmit Civic Knowledge, It Influences Opinion on Polarizing Social Issues Earning a bachelor s degree exerts an independent, statistically significant influence on a person s views on five of the thirty-nine survey propositions, most involving a narrow range of polarizing social and cultural issues. If two people otherwise share the same background characteristics, as well as equal civic knowledge, the one who graduates from college will be more likely than the one who does not to: Favor same same-sex marriage; and Favor abortion on demand. Similarly, a college graduate will be less likely than a non-college graduate to: Believe anyone can succeed in America with hard work and perseverance; Favor teacher-led prayer in public schools; and Believe the Bible is the Word of God.

13 13 Major Finding 2: Compared to College, Civic Knowledge Exerts a Broader and More Diverse Influence on the American Mind Gaining civic knowledge influences a person s views on four times as many propositions as college twenty in all that range across all of the six major survey themes. Civic knowledge also appears to produce a more independent frame of mind. For example, if two people otherwise share the same basic characteristics, the one who scores higher on the civic literacy exam will be more likely to agree that a person s evaluation of a nation improves with his or her understanding of it; but also less likely to agree that legislators should subsidize a college in proportion to its students learning about America. Similarly, having more civic knowledge makes one more likely to agree that prosperity depends on entrepreneurs and free markets; but also less likely to agree that the free market brings about full employment. Major Finding 3: Civic Knowledge Increases a Person s Regard for America s Ideals and Free Institutions Gaining civic knowledge as opposed to merely graduating from college increases a person s belief in American ideals and free institutions. If two people otherwise share the same basic characteristics, the one with greater civic knowledge will be more likely to support: America s ideals: He or she will be less likely to agree that America corrupts otherwise good people. America s Founding documents: He or she will be less likely to agree that the Founding documents are obsolete. American free enterprise: He or she will be more likely to agree that prosperity depends on entrepreneurs and free markets, and less likely to agree that global capitalism produces few winners and many losers. The Ten Commandments: He or she will be less likely to agree that the Ten Commandments are irrelevant today. Additional Finding: How College Teaching Alters the Public Beliefs of Professors Being a college professor alters one s worldview on propositions involving education, economics, religion, and America. If two people share the same basic characteristics, the one who has taught at the college level is more likely to agree that: America corrupts otherwise good people; The Ten Commandments are irrelevant today; Raising the minimum wage decreases employment; Educators should instill more doubt in students and reject certainty; and Homeschooling families neglect their community obligations. And to that: Legislators should subsidize a college in proportion to its students learning about America.

14 14 The shaping of the American Mind Finding 1: While College Fails to Adequately Transmit Civic Knowledge, It Influences Opinion on Polarizing Social Issues American colleges generally fail to significantly increase civic knowledge among their students, but they do influence student opinion on a narrow set of polarizing social issues. In three successive years, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute conducted surveys to determine the impact a college education has on civic knowledge. In 2006, ISI gave approximately 14,000 college freshmen and seniors at fifty colleges nationwide a sixty-question multiple-choice exam on fundamental knowledge of America s history and institutions. The average freshman scored 51.7% and the average senior scored 53.2%. In 2007, ISI tested another set of over 14,000 college freshmen and seniors. Similarly, the average freshman scored 50.4% and the average senior scored 54.2%. In 2008, ISI widened the field of respondents to adults to measure the independent impact of college on the acquisition of civic knowledge, and how a college education and civic knowledge independently influence a person s views. A random, representative sample of 2,508 American adults was given a thirty-three-question basic civics test. The average college graduate in this sample scored 57%, correctly answering only four questions more than the average high school graduate. If earning a college degree does not significantly increase a student s knowledge of America s history and institutions, what impact does it have? The 2008 survey asked respondents forty-one demographic questions, as well as whether they strongly agreed, somewhat agreed, were neutral, somewhat d, or strongly d with each of thirty-nine propositions that covered a broad range of subjects, including American ideals and institutions, higher education, immigration and diversity, culture and society, religion and faith, and market economy and public policy. Multivariate regression analyses were used to determine whether earning a bachelor s degree in and of itself had a statistically significant influence on a respondent s opinions on any of the thirtynine propositions. It turned out that college independently influenced a person s opinion on only five of the thirty-nine four of the five involving highly polarizing issues. If two people otherwise share the same basic Earning a Bachelor s Degree Influences Opinions on Five Propositions Multivariate regression analyses determined that earning a bachelor s degree has an independent, statistically significant impact on a person s opinions on five of the thirty-nine survey propositions. Below are these propositions, ranked by the strength of the influence that earning a bachelor s degree exerts on a person s opinion on each, and whether it moved a person toward agreeing or ing with the proposition. Rank and proposition College makes you more likely to 1 Same-sex couples should be allowed to marry legally. Agree 2 Public school teachers should be allowed to lead prayers in school. 3 Abortion should be available at any stage and for any reason. Agree 4 With hard work and perseverance anyone can succeed in America. 5 The Bible is the Word of God. Disagree

15 15 characteristics, including equal civic knowledge, the one who graduates from college will be more likely than the one who does not graduate from college to: Favor same same-sex marriage; and Favor abortion on demand. Similarly, all else being equal, a college graduate will be less likely to: Although 72% of Americans agree that colleges should prepare citizen leaders by teaching students America s history, key texts, and institutions, earning a bachelor s degree has no significant impact on whether a person believes America s Founding documents remain relevant. Given these public expectations, and the clear civic purposes surrounding American higher education, this lack of collegiate influence is surprising. Believe anyone can succeed in America with hard work and perseverance; Favor teacher-led prayer in public schools; and Believe the Bible is the Word of God. Graduating from college does not significantly impact a person s views on economic issues. It does not influence a person s opinion on whether government regulation does more good than harm, on whether taxing the rich to help the poor reduces work and investment, or on whether prosperity depends on entrepreneurs and free markets. Average Agreement by Educational Attainment Below are the five propositions where earning a college degree influences a person s opinion, this time arrayed by educational attainment. The more degrees a person earns, the more opinion shifts on each of the polarizing propositions. % Agree high Rank and proposition SChool College Masters PhD 1 Same-sex couples should be allowed to marry legally. 24.6% 39.1% 45.6% 42.8% 2 Public school teachers should be allowed to lead prayers in school Abortion should be available at any stage and for any reason With hard work and perseverance anyone can succeed in America The Bible is the Word of God

16 16 The shaping of the American Mind Finding 2: Compared to College, Civic Knowledge Exerts a Broader and More Diverse Influence on the American Mind Gaining civic knowledge influences a person s opinions across a greater number of propositions and a broader range of issues than does simply earning a college degree. Civic knowledge affects a person s opinions on twenty of the thirty-nine survey propositions compared to the five affected by earning a bachelor s degree. While college influences a person s opinions on a narrow set of polarizing social issues, civic knowledge influences a person s opinions on propositions in all of the major survey themes, including American ideals and institutions, higher education, immigration and diversity, culture and society, religion and faith, and market economy and public policy. The influence that gaining civic knowledge exerts on a person s opinions is also more broadranging than the influence of marital status (which significantly influences opinions on five propositions), gender (ten propositions), being a minority (ten propositions), earning a higher income (twelve propositions), and watching primetime television, news, and movies (sixteen propositions). As noted, respondents to the ISI survey took a thirty-three-question test on America s history and institutions, answered forty-one demographic questions, and stated whether they strongly agreed, somewhat agreed, were neutral, somewhat d, or strongly d with thirty-nine propositions. The analyses show that the influence civic knowledge exerts on a person s views is not only broader than the influence exerted by a college degree, but it also appears to produce a more independent frame of mind. Multivariate regression analyses were used to determine whether scoring higher on the survey s civic literacy exam had an independent, statistically significant influence on a respondent s opinions on each of the thirty-nine propositions. The analyses show that the influence civic knowledge exerts on a person s views is not only broader than the influence exerted by a college degree, but it also appears to produce a more independent frame of mind that admits to no set, reflexive point of view on many debatable issues. For example, if two people otherwise share the same basic characteristics, including formal education, the one who scores higher on the civic literacy exam will be: More likely to agree that a person s evaluation of a nation improves with his understanding of it; but Less likely to agree that legislatures should subsidize a college in proportion to its students learning about America. More likely to agree that prosperity depends on entrepreneurs and free markets; but Less likely to agree that the free market brings about full employment. More likely to agree that the Ten Commandments remain relevant; but Less likely to agree that the Bible is the Word of God. Gaining civic knowledge influences a person s views on the aforementioned propositions, whether that person gains the civic knowledge at college or elsewhere.

17 17 Civic Knowledge Influences Opinions on All Themes Surveyed Gaining additional civic knowledge as measured by the ISI civic literacy exam has an independent, statistically significant impact on a respondent s opinions on twenty of the thirty-nine survey propositions. These twenty propositions range across all of the themes surveyed, including American ideals and institutions, immigration and diversity, higher education, culture and society, market economy and public policy, and religion and faith. Listed below are the twenty propositions on which a person s opinion is influenced by gaining additional civic knowledge and the direction in which his or her opinion is influenced. The more civic knowledge a person gains, the more their opinion is pushed in the indicated direction. The propositions are arranged by theme category. As you Gain Civic Knowledge, American Ideals and Institutions you are more likely to America s Founding documents are obsolete. America corrupts otherwise good people. American government should do more to solve international problems. Higher Education Legislators should subsidize a college in proportion to its students learning about America. A person s evaluation of a nation improves with his or her understanding of it. Immigration and Diversity Immigration into America should be reduced no matter how well immigrants assimilate. Discrimination is the most urgent problem in America. Culture and Society Homeschooling families neglect their community obligations. Society is identical to government. America s media covers rival political views fairly. Religion and Faith The Ten Commandments are irrelevant today. Public school teachers should be allowed to lead prayers in school. Religion and science typically conflict. The Bible is the Word of God. Market Economy and Public Policy Prosperity depends on entrepreneurs and free markets. Global capitalism produces a few winners and many losers. Government regulation does more good than harm. Government must act to curb global warming. The American Founders opposed universal health care. The free market brings about full employment. Disagree Agree Disagree Agree

18 18 The shaping of the American Mind Finding 3: Civic Knowledge Increases a Person s Regard for America s Ideals and Free Institutions Gaining civic knowledge as opposed to merely graduating from college increases a person s belief in America s ideals and free institutions. The ISI survey shows that large but not overwhelming majorities of Americans reject the belief that this nation corrupts otherwise good people, and retain a belief in the relevance of our Founding documents, in the Ten Commandments, and in the effectiveness of the free enterprise system. Sixty-three percent of Americans that America corrupts otherwise good people. Sixty-one percent of Americans that America s Founding documents are obsolete. Sixty-seven percent of Americans that the Ten Commandments are irrelevant today. Fifty-six percent of Americans agree that prosperity depends upon entrepreneurs and free markets. However, multivariate regression analyses indicate that when numerous factors are held constant, earning a bachelor s degree has no independent, statistically significant impact on a person s views on any of these questions. Graduating from college makes someone neither more nor less likely to believe that America corrupts otherwise good people, that the free enterprise system works, and that the Founding documents and Ten Commandments remain relevant. Gaining civic knowledge, by contrast, does have an independent, statistically significant influence on a person s views on these issues. If two people otherwise share the same basic characteristics they have the same level of education, earn the same income, are the same age, etc. the one with greater civic knowledge will be more likely to support: America s ideals: He or she will be less likely to agree with the proposition that America corrupts otherwise good people. America s Founding documents: He or she will be less likely to agree with the proposition that the Founding documents are obsolete. American free enterprise: He or she will be more likely to agree that prosperity depends on entrepreneurs and free markets, and less likely to agree that global capitalism produces few winners and many losers, and that government regulation does more good than harm. The Ten Commandments: He or she will be less likely to agree that the Ten Commandments are irrelevant today. In what could be considered a troublesome sign for the nation s civic health, concurrence in the majority view on these matters is weaker among younger Americans than among Baby Boomers. Sixty-eight percent of those age fortyfive to sixty-four, compared to 58% age eighteen to twenty-four, that America corrupts otherwise good people. Sixty-eight percent of those age fortyfive to sixty-four, compared to 51% age eighteen to twenty-four, that America s Founding documents are obsolete.

19 19 Top Twenty Opinions Influenced by Civic Knowledge When other factors remain constant, gaining civic knowledge has an independent, statistically significant impact on a respondent s opinions on twenty of the thirty-nine survey propositions. Listed below are these twenty propositions ranked not by theme, but by the degree to which gaining civic knowledge pushes a person s opinion toward agreeing or ing with it. The higher the proposition ranks, the more influence gaining civic knowledge exerts on a person s attitude toward that proposition. AS you gain civic knowledge, Rank and proposition you are more likely to 1 Legislators should subsidize a college in proportion to its students learning about America. Disagree 2 America s Founding documents are obsolete. 3 The Ten Commandments are irrelevant today. 4 America corrupts otherwise good people. 4 Public school teachers should be allowed to lead prayers in school. 6 Immigration into America should be reduced no matter how well immigrants assimilate. Disagree 7 Homeschooling families neglect their community obligations. 8 Discrimination is the most urgent problem in America. 9 Religion and science typically conflict. 10 The Bible is the Word of God. 10 Prosperity depends upon entrepreneurs and free markets. Agree 12 American government should do more to solve international problems. 12 Society is identical to government. 12 Global capitalism produces a few winners and many losers. 15 A person s evaluation of a nation improves with his or her understanding of that nation. Agree 15 America s media covers rival political views fairly. 15 Government must act to curb global warming. 15 Government regulation does more good than harm. 19 The American Founders opposed universal health care. 20 The free market brings about full employment. Seventy-four percent of those age fortyfive to sixty-four, compared to 60% age eighteen to twenty-four, that the Ten Commandments are irrelevant today. Fifty-eight percent of those age fortyfive to sixty-four, compared to 50% age eighteen to twenty-four, agree that prosperity depends on entrepreneurs and free markets. The solution to this problem is not simply sending more young Americans to college, for college itself makes little difference in a person s views on these matters. The solution must be teaching all young Americans more about their nation s history and institutions, because civic knowledge does make a difference. A good place to address this shortcoming is at the collegiate level, where America s teachers and professors are trained and where America s future leaders are groomed.

20 20 The shaping of the American Mind Additional Finding: How College Teaching Alters the Public Beliefs of Professors The survey did not directly measure the impact that college professors have on the views of their students. However, it did measure the impact that teaching at the college level exerts on a professor s opinions, revealing that being a college teacher shifts a person s views on whether America is a corruptive force, the relevance of the Ten Commandments, the impact of the minimum wage, and certain questions involving education itself. Of the 2,508 respondents to the ISI survey, 240 said they had formally taught a college course. Like all respondents, these college professors were asked whether they strongly agreed, somewhat agreed, were neutral, somewhat d, or strongly d with the thirty-nine survey propositions. Multivariate regression analyses determined that teaching in college exerts an independent, statistically significant influence on a person s views on six propositions. If two people otherwise share the same basic characteristics, including formal education and civic knowledge, the one who has taught in college is more likely than the one who has not to agree that: America corrupts otherwise good people; The Ten Commandments are irrelevant today; Raising the minimum wage decreases employment; Educators should instill more doubt in students and reject certainty; and Homeschooling families neglect their community obligations. Conversely, a college teacher is more likely to that: Legislators should subsidize a college in proportion to its students learning about America. When the thirteen propositions, on which college professors and non-college professors significantly, are ranked by the magnitude of that ment (see page twenty-one), this last proposition comes in first. The average American who is not a college professor is neutral toward the proposition that legislators should subsidize a college in proportion to its students learning about America. Teaching in College Influences Opinions on Six Propositions Using regression analyses, below are six propositions ranked by the strength of influence that teaching in college exerts on a person s opinion, and whether it moved a person toward agreeing or ing with the proposition. Being a college teacher proposition makes you more likely to America corrupts otherwise good people. Agree The Ten Commandments are irrelevant today. Agree Raising the minimum wage decreases employment. Agree Educators should instill more doubt in students and reject certainty. Agree Homeschooling families neglect their community obligations. Agree Legislators should subsidize a college in proportion to its students learning about America.

21 21 The average college professor is more likely to with this proposition, with the raw score in the somewhat category. The chart below displays other evident patterns. College professors agree on the essential goodness of America (No. 7) and the viability of the American work ethic (No. 13), but they do so with less confidence than the average American. College professors are likely to believe that the Bible is the Word of God (No. 2), but not as likely as non-college professors. Finally, when it comes to many of the most polarizing propositions in the ISI survey, college professors are less likely than non-college professors to support school prayer (No. 5) and immigration restrictions (No. 3), and more likely than non-college professors to support co-ed dorm rooms (No. 6), abortion-on-demand (No. 9), and government efforts to curb global warming (No. 12). Do You Agree with the Average College Professor? Of the 2,508 respondents to the ISI survey, 240 said they had formally taught a college course. Like all respondents, these college teachers were asked whether they strongly agreed (5), somewhat agreed (4), were neutral (3), somewhat d (2), or strongly d (1) with each of the thirty-nine propositions. This table ranks the propositions by the degree to which the response of the average college professor differed significantly from that of the remaining Americans (difference of means test). Rank and proposition Professors are more likely to 1 Legislators should subsidize a college in proportion to its students learning about America. Disagree 2 The Bible is the Word of God. 3 Immigration into America should be reduced no matter how well immigrants assimilate. Disagree 4 The American Founders opposed universal health care. 5 Public school teachers should be allowed to lead prayers in school. 6 Universities should allow students to live in a dorm room with the opposite sex. Agree 7 America is a model of freedom and justice in the world. 8 Legislators should suspend all tax dollars for a college after its endowment exceeds one billion dollars. 9 Abortion should be available at any stage and for any reason. Agree 10 Religion and science typically conflict. 11 Educators should instill more doubt in students and reject certainty. Agree 12 Government must act to curb global warming. Agree 13 With hard work and perseverance anyone can succeed in America.

22 22 The shaping of the American Mind Conclusion George Washington, like Benjamin Franklin, was an ardent advocate of higher education. He believed so much in this cause that he left part of his estate to help create two colleges: a national university in Washington, D.C., and a smaller academy in Virginia. The smaller academy became Washington College and then Washington & Lee. Congress never did establish the national university Washington envisioned, although it eventually chartered military academies at Annapolis and West Point. In Washington s mind, a national university would have served multiple civic purposes. It would have helped students from all regions of the country in acquiring knowledge in the principles of Politics and good Government. It would have alleviated any need for the nation s best and brightest to finish their education overseas, where they might adopt not only habits of dissipation and extravagance, but principles unfriendly to Republican Government Colleges that can produce graduates without having a significant impact on whether those students believe America s Founding documents remain relevant are not fulfilling the civic purpose that Washington and Franklin had in mind for higher education. and to the true and genuine liberties of mankind. It would have nurtured national unity by producing graduates who could free themselves in a proper degree from those local prejudices and habitual jealousies which when carried to excess, are never failing sources of disquietude to the Public Mind, and pregnant of mischievous consequences to this Country. Even though Washington s national university never came to be, its civic purposes remain worthy ones for American higher education. It is in that spirit that this report was produced. Given the major findings of The Shaping of the American Mind: The Diverging Influences of the College Degree & Civic Learning on American Beliefs, it must be asked whether American higher education is achieving the civic aims Washington and Franklin set for it. Do our colleges and universities nurture a national consensus built around those enduring principles necessary to maintaining a free, prosperous, and self-governing nation? From the data presented here, it would be difficult to conclude that the contemporary American college experience in and of itself nurtures a common sense of national purpose. As has been shown, earning a bachelor s degree independently influences a person s views only on a narrow set of polarizing social issues including same-sex marriage, abortion, school prayer, and the nature of the Bible while making the average graduate less likely to embrace one of the most strongly held beliefs of the general American population that anyone can succeed in this country with hard work and perseverance. Furthermore, colleges that can produce graduates without having a significant impact on whether those students believe America s Founding documents remain relevant are not fulfilling the civic purpose that Washington and Franklin had in mind for higher education. Gaining civic knowledge, this report has shown, does increase a person s belief in America s Founding documents and ideals. Those who score higher on the ISI civic literacy test are more likely to reject the notion that our Founding documents are obsolete and that America corrupts good people. They are also more likely to embrace free enterprise,

23 23 agreeing that prosperity depends on free markets and entrepreneurs and ing that global capitalism produces more losers than winners. The problem, as ISI s previous civic literacy reports have demonstrated, is that an American can earn a college degree without gaining adequate civic knowledge (and in some cases, even lose knowledge). This must change if we want future generations of Americans to believe in the relevance of our nation s Founding principles and to maintain a selfgoverning society where freedom and opportunity flourish. American colleges and universities need to do a better job of teaching young men and women about our nation s history and institutions. Next year, ISI will publish its fifth national civic literacy report, this time focusing on the potential linkages between college and civic knowledge on the extent of civic engagement among the American citizenry. Building upon previous findings that revealed a connection between greater civic learning and political participation among undergraduates, ISI will examine its random sample of American adults to determine first their overall level of civic engagement, and next, whether acquiring a college degree or gaining civic knowledge boosts the kind of informed and responsible citizenship so necessary for the proper functioning of America s representative democracy. For instance, does a college degree make you more likely to vote, serve in the military, run for elective office, conduct community service, or contact your elected representative; and how does that collegiate influence compare to the impact of higher civic knowledge on those dimensions of American citizenship? That is the kind of real-world civic impact that ISI will be analyzing in upcoming reports, and it all leads back to one fundamental question: Are America s colleges and universities making the grade when it comes to their civic obligations? Until they are, the American public needs to demand concrete curricular reforms that will improve the capacity of colleges and universities to properly prepare their graduates for their duties as citizens. V i s i t w w w. a m e r i c a n c i v i c l i t e r a c y. o r g Take the civic literacy test online. Contact ISI to learn how to become more involved with its university reform efforts, including the Lehrman American Studies Center s initiatives to improve the collegiate teaching of America s Founding principles. Find out how to obtain ISI s college and student guides for the young adults in your life.

24 24 The shaping of the American Mind Survey Development and Methodology Survey Question Development The survey contained 118 questions, including thirty-three testing the respondents civic knowledge, thirty-nine gauging their public philosophy, twenty-nine measuring their civic behavior, and sixteen on demographics. One tested knowledge of popular culture. Drs. Ken Dautrich, Richard Brake, and Gary Scott coordinated development of the questions through a rigorous process of independent consultation, validity analyses, and scholarly review. Thirteen of the thirty-three civic knowledge questions were taken from previous ISI surveys developed by ISI faculty advisors from universities around the country. Nine were taken from the U.S. Department of Education s 12th grade NAEP test and six from the U.S. Naturalization exam. Two new civic knowledge questions were developed by ISI especially for this survey. Interview Technique and Sample Size 2,508 American adults were interviewed by telephone from April 17 to May 10, The margin of error for the full sample is +/- 2.0 percentage points at the 95% level of confidence. The margin of error for subgroups (e.g., men, women, college graduates, etc.) is higher. The sampling and interview methodology was designed by Dr. Ken Dautrich of the University of Connecticut. Survey Population The telephone survey data can be taken to represent a probability sample of all individuals who live in households with residential telephone service in the United States. Randomized Sample Selection A Random Digit Dial (RDD) methodology was used to generate random samples of telephone households in the United States. Within each household, one respondent was randomly selected utilizing the modified Trodahl/Carter in-house selection technique. Braun Research was commissioned to conduct the telephone data collection. Weighting A standard weighting process was applied to the data to adjust for error inherent in the sampling methodology. The frame of the general population was aligned to the national population, as taken from the 2006 American Community Survey, and a weight was applied based on age, gender, education, and race. Opinion Questions for Identifying Respondents Public Philosophy The thirty-nine public philosophy propositions were developed for this survey to empirically test for possible relationships between a person s knowledge of America s history and institutions, opinions on public affairs, and civic participation. Propositions were kept succinct to maximize the questions that could be asked in a telephone interview. ISI researchers refined and validated the propositions with assistance from a panel of scholars with advanced training in various disciplines. A focus group of non-scholars was used to identify unnecessarily vague or problematic language in the phrasing of propositions. Analyses and Report Writing Analyses of the raw data matrix, including statistical inferences based upon multiple regression analyses, were independently conducted and then jointly corroborated by Dr. Ken Dautrich at the University of Connecticut and Dr. Gary Scott at ISI. ISI visiting fellow Terence Jeffrey provided the technical writing for this report, along with addi-

25 25 tional analyses and writing from Dr. Richard Brake and Patrick Ford. Technique for Identifying the Impact of College and Civic Knowledge on Opinion Multivariate regression analyses were employed to distinguish the unique impact of college from the impact of additional civic knowledge on respondents opinions. Peter Kennedy has written, Knowing that something is what you say it is is a mathematical (as opposed to statistical) problem (A Guide to Econometrics, MIT Press, 1993, p. 153). Equation one serves as the theoretical specification for this analytical task of identification: (1) S i = β 1 + β 2 X i + β 3 H i + β 4 B i + β 5 M i + β 6 P i + µ i where: S i = ith respondent s rating or scoring of an opinion proposition β i = regression parameters (j = 1.m) X i = non-education characteristics for ith respondent H i = 1, if ith person s terminal degree is a high school degree (otherwise = zero) B i = 1, if ith person s terminal degree is a four-year baccalaureate (otherwise = zero) M i = 1, if ith person s terminal degree is a masters degree (otherwise = zero) P i = 1, if ith person s terminal degree is a Ph.D (otherwise = zero) µ i = stochastic error term for ith observation Each respondent earns the actual or equivalent of pre-requisite degrees in order to earn the ensuing degree. Each respondent offered only one response in the actual survey mapping to his terminus education level. The following dichotomous variables account for both the person s terminus degree and necessary or implicit preceding degrees. h i = 1; if: H i = 1 or B i = 1 or M i = 1 or P i = 1; otherwise zero (91% meet criteria) b i = 1; if: B i = 1 or M i = 1 or P i = 1; otherwise zero (25%) m i = 1; if: M i = 1 or P i = 1; otherwise zero (8.6%) p i = 1; if: P i = 1; otherwise zero (1.1%) Notice that every dichotomous variable equals one for that person possessing a Ph.D., whereas in the previous coding, only the last variable (p i ) was equal to one. Replacing these new dichotomous degree variables into equation one results in equation two: (2) S i = β 1 + β 2 X i + β 3 h i + β 4 b i + β 5 m i + β 6 p i + µ i The impact of the baccalaureate degree can now be obtained analytically by taking the first derivative of equation two with respect to b i (baccalaureate), as shown in expression three: (3) ds i /db i = β 4 This method allows for the statistical identification of the average impact of the baccalaureate on each public opinion item, even from among those respondents possessing an MA or Ph.D. The residual and omitted category of some high school or less avoids perfect multi-collinearity, thereby permitting the computing of estimated parameters. The impact of high school and graduate degrees is similarly obtained: (4) ds i /dh i = β 3 (5) ds i /dm i = β 5 (6) ds i /dp i = β 6 An analogous method was employed to distinguish the impact of the baccalaureate on civic knowledge from other independent variables. Arthur Goldberger further elaborates on the identification method and construction of binary variables in Introductory Econometrics (1998).

26 26 The shaping of the American Mind Appendix A: Civic Knowledge Questions Following are the thirty-three questions ISI posed to a random sample of 2,508 Americans in order to determine the extent of civic knowledge among the American population. Take the test online at Political History 1. Which of the following are the inalienable rights referred to in the Declaration of Independence? a. life, liberty, and property b. honor, liberty, and peace c. liberty, health, and community d. life, respect, and equal protection e. life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness 2. In 1933 Franklin Delano Roosevelt proposed a series of government programs that became known as: a. the Great Society b. the Square Deal c. the New Deal d. the New Frontier e. supply-side economics 3. What are the three branches of government? 4. What was the main issue in the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas in 1858? a. Is slavery morally wrong? b. Should slavery be allowed to expand to new territories? c. Do Southern states have the constitutional right to leave the union? d. Are free African Americans citizens of the United States? 5. The United States Electoral College: a. trains those aspiring for higher political office b. was established to supervise the first televised presidential debates c. is otherwise known as the U.S. Congress d. is a constitutionally mandated assembly that elects the president e. was ruled undemocratic by the Supreme Court 6. The Bill of Rights explicitly prohibits: a. prayer in public school b. discrimination based on race, sex, or religion c. the ownership of guns by private individuals d. establishing an official religion for the United States e. the president from vetoing a line item in a spending bill 7. What was the source of the following phrase: Government of the people, by the people, for the people? a. the speech I Have a Dream b. Declaration of Independence c. U.S. Constitution d. Gettysburg Address 8. In 1935 and 1936 the Supreme Court declared that important parts of the New Deal were unconstitutional. President Roosevelt responded by threatening to: a. impeach several Supreme Court justices b. eliminate the Supreme Court c. appoint additional Supreme Court justices who shared his views d. override the Supreme Court s decisions by gaining threequarter majorities in both houses of Congress 9. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government? 10. Name one right or freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment. 11. What impact did the Anti-Federalists have on the United States Constitution? a. their arguments helped lead to the adoption of the Bill of Rights b. their arguments helped lead to the abolition of the slave trade c. their influence ensured that the federal government would maintain a standing army d. their influence ensured that the federal government would have the power to tax 12. Which of the following statements is true about abortion? a. it was legal in most states in the 1960s b. the Supreme Court struck down most legal restrictions on it in Roe v. Wade c. the Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that underage women must notify their parents of an impending abortion d. the National Organization for Women has lobbied for legal restrictions on it e. it is currently legal only in cases of rape or incest, or to protect the life of the mother 13. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas would concur that: a. all moral and political truth is relative to one s time and place b. moral ideas are best explained as material accidents or byproducts of evolution c. values originating in one s conscience cannot be judged by others d. Christianity is the only true religion and should rule the state e. certain permanent moral and political truths are accessible to human reason Cultural Institutions 14. The Puritans: a. opposed all wars on moral grounds b. stressed the sinfulness of all humanity c. believed in complete religious freedom d. colonized Utah under the leadership of Brigham Young e. were Catholic missionaries escaping religious persecution 15. The phrase that in America there should be a wall of separation between church and state appears in: a. George Washington s Farewell Address b. the Mayflower Compact c. the Constitution d. the Declaration of Independence e. Thomas Jefferson s letters

27 In his I Have a Dream speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: a. argued for the abolition of slavery b. advocated black separatism c. morally defended affirmative action d. expressed his hopes for racial justice and brotherhood e. proposed that several of America s Founding ideas were discriminatory 17. Sputnik was the name given to the first: a. telecommunications system b. animal to travel to space c. hydrogen bomb d. manmade satellite 18. Susan B. Anthony was a leader of the movement to a. guarantee women the right to vote in national elections b. guarantee former slaves the right to vote c. ensure that harsher laws against criminals were passed d. reduce the authority of the Constitution of the United States 19. The Scopes Monkey Trial was about: a. freedom of the press b. teaching evolution in the schools c. prayer in the schools d. education in private schools Foreign Relations 20. Who is the commander in chief of the U.S. military? 21. Name two countries that were our enemies during World War II. 22. What part of the government has the power to declare war? a. Congress b. the President c. the Supreme Court d. the Joint Chiefs of Staff 23. In October 1962 the United States and the Soviet Union came close to war over the issue of Soviet: a. control of East Berlin b. missiles in Cuba c. support of the Ho Chi Minh regime in Viet Nam d. military support of the Marxist regime in Afghanistan 24. In the area of United States foreign policy, Congress shares power with the: a. President b. Supreme Court c. state governments d. United Nations Market Economy 25. Free enterprise or capitalism exists insofar as: a. experts managing the nation s commerce are appointed by elected officials b. individual citizens create, exchange, and control goods and resources c. charity, philanthropy, and volunteering decrease d. demand and supply are decided through majority vote e. government implements policies that favor businesses over consumers 26. Business profit is: a. cost minus revenue b. assets minus liabilities c. revenue minus expenses d. selling price of a stock minus its purchase price e. earnings minus assets 27. Free markets typically secure more economic prosperity than government s centralized planning because: a. the price system utilizes more local knowledge of means and ends b. markets rely upon coercion, whereas government relies upon voluntary compliance with the law c. more tax revenue can be generated from free enterprise d. property rights and contracts are best enforced by the market system e. government planners are too cautious in spending taxpayers money 28. A progressive tax: a. encourages more investment from those with higher incomes b. is illustrated by a 6% sales tax c. requires those with higher incomes to pay a higher ratio of taxes to income d. requires every income class to pay the same ratio of taxes to income e. earmarks revenues for poverty reduction 29. A flood-control levee (or national defense) is considered a public good because: a. citizens value it as much as bread and medicine b. a resident can benefit from it without directly paying for it c. government construction contracts increase employment d. insurance companies cannot afford to replace all houses after a flood e. government pays for its construction, not citizens 30. Which of the following fiscal policy combinations would a government most likely follow to stimulate economic activity when the economy is in a severe recession? a. increasing both taxes and spending b. increasing taxes and decreasing spending c. decreasing taxes and increasing spending d. decreasing both taxes and spending 31. International trade and specialization most often lead to which of the following? a. an increase in a nation s productivity b. a decrease in a nation s economic growth in the long term c. an increase in a nation s import tariffs d. a decrease in a nation s standard of living 32. Which of the following is a policy tool of the Federal Reserve? a. raising or lowering income taxes b. increasing or decreasing unemployment benefits c. buying or selling government securities d. increasing or decreasing government spending 33. If taxes equal government spending, then: a. government debt is zero b. printing money no longer causes inflation c. government is not helping anybody d. tax per person equals government spending per person e. tax loopholes and special-interest spending are absent

28 28 The shaping of the American Mind Appendix B: Factors Shaping Americans Political Orientation Seventeen Factors that Have a Statistically Significant Impact on Self-Identified Political Orientation Of all the variables examined, these seventeen were found to have a statistically significant impact on ISI s political orientation scale (see page eleven). The variables are ranked by the magnitude of their influence on a person s political orientation.* The arrow beside each factor indicates whether it moved a person left or right and the relative magnitude of that movement. Respondents were asked whether they were liberal, moderate, or conservative; and whether they were Democrat, Independent, Republican, or other. Responses were then placed on a 1-5 scale, with Democrat liberals assigned a 5, Independent moderates a 3, and Republican conservatives a 1. Multivariate regression analysis was then employed to determine whether each variable moved an individual toward the leftward or rightward pole. Interestingly, gaining a college degree moves one to the left, and gaining civic knowledge to the right. liberal Democrat/Liberal influence influence influence Minority Attending church at least weekly Female Holding Judeo-Christian religious beliefs Unmarried Earning a bachelor s degree Acquiring civic knowledge Higher income Living in the South Serving in the military Speaking English at home as a child Engaging in political activities beyond voting Being a parent with a child at home Living in the Northeast Teaching in college Watching primetime TV sitcoms or movie DVDs gop/conservative conservative Influence * Using standardized regression coefficients Teaching at the K 12 level

29 29 Appendix C: Endnotes for Opinion Propositions 1 U.S. Department of Education, What Democracy Means to Ninth-Graders: U.S. Results from the International IEA Civic Education Study (2001); pubs2001/ pdf. For example, this survey asked students a similar question: Should the United States be proud of what it has achieved? 2 The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, Pew Hispanic Center Immigration Poll, February 2006; people-press.org/report/274/americas-immigration-quandary. Most people who want to get ahead can make it if they re willing to work hard. 3 The American National Election Studies (ANES; www. electionstudies.org). The ANES 2008 Time Series Study, Stanford University and the University of Michigan (producers). Do you think this country would be better off if we just stayed home and did not concern ourselves with problems in other parts of the world, or do you think that this country would be better off trying to solve some problems in other parts of the world? 4 Ibid., Do you think there are any important differences in what the Republicans and Democrats stand for? 5 Harvard University President Drew Faust s Installation Address (2007) suggested the proposition Educators should instill more doubt in students and reject certainty. According to President Faust, Truth is an aspiration, not a possession. Yet in this we and all universities defined by the spirit of debate and free inquiry challenge and even threaten those who would embrace unquestioned certainties. We must commit ourselves to the uncomfortable position of doubt, to the humility of always believing there is more to know, more to teach, more to understand. 6 Gallup Poll, June 5 July 6, 2008; poll/1660/immigration.aspx. In your view, should immigration be kept at its present level, increased, or decreased? 7 The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, Abortion and Rights of Terror Suspects Top Court Issues, August 2005; 8 Ibid. 9 The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, Political Communications Study, December 2007; press.org/report/384/internets-broader-role-in-campaign Thinking about the news media in general, to what extent do you see political bias in news coverage? 10 Gallup Poll, May 11, 2008; poll/1690/religion.aspx. Which of the following statements comes closest to describing your views about the Bible the Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word; the Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally; or the Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by man? 11 The proposition Religion provides indispensable support for self-government, paraphrases an excerpt from George Washington s Farewell Address of 1796: Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. 12 The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, General Public Science Survey, May 2009; In your opinion, generally do you think science and religion are often in conflict or science and religion are mostly compatible? 13 For the proposition Prosperity depends upon entrepreneurs and free markets, see Israel M. Kirzner, Entrepreneurial Discovery and the Competitive Market Process, Journal of Economic Literature, March 1997, pp For the proposition Taxing the rich to help the poor reduces work and investment, see Rebecca Blank, The 1996 Welfare Reform, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 11, Winter 1997b, pp The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, Beyond Red vs. Blue: Republicans Divided About Role of Government; Democrats by Social and Personal Values, May 2005; Government regulation of business usually does more harm than good. 16 For the proposition Government must act to curb global warming, see Al Gore, Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit (1993). 17 For the proposition, Profit accrues to those organizations that help people, see Adam Smith, An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). 18 The timely issue of whether the free market brings about full employment has been a significant part of economic literature. See Jean-Baptiste Say, A Treatise on Political Economy (1834), and John Maynard Keynes, The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money (1936). 19 For the proposition Raising the minimum wage decreases employment, see Dan Fuller and Doris Geide- Stevenson, Consensus Among Economists: Revisited, Journal of Economic Education, Fall 2003, org/pss/ For the proposition Local zoning laws improve communities, see Alfred Marshall s discussion of externalities in Principles of Economics (1920).

30 30 The shaping of the American Mind About The Intercollegiate Studies Institute The Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt educational organization founded in 1953 to further in successive generations of American college students a better understanding of the economic, political, and ethical values that sustain a free and humane society. With ISI s volunteer representatives at more than 900 colleges, and with more than 65,000 ISI student and faculty members on virtually every campus in the country, ISI directs tens of thousands of young people each year to a wide array of educational programs that deepen their understanding of the American ideal of ordered liberty. ISI annually conducts more than 300 educational programs around the country, including lectures, debates, student conferences, and summer schools. ISI also offers graduate fellowships for aspiring college teachers and distributes more than three million copies of ISI books, journals, and affiliated student newspapers on college and university campuses across the country. These programs work at different levels and in different ways to nurture in the rising generations an appreciation of our nation s Founding principles limited government, individual liberty, private property, a free market economy, personal responsibility, and ethical standards. For more information about ISI, visit In 2003, ISI launched the American Civic Literacy Program to study and strengthen the teaching of America s history and institutions at the college level. ISI contracted with the University of Connecticut s Department of Public Policy in both 2006 and 2007 to conduct annual national surveys in order to learn the extent to which colleges and universities are successfully teaching America s history and institutions to undergraduate students. In 2008, ISI expanded its research focus to include all American adults, college educated or not, to further isolate the independent impact of a college degree on lifetime civic knowledge. Visit for the full reports describing these path-breaking survey results. The American Civic Literacy Program is governed by ISI s National Civic Literacy Board and is part of ISI s University Stewardship Initiative. ISI American Civic Literacy Program Staff Dr. Richard Brake, Director of University Stewardship Patrick Ford, Managing Director of Higher Education Research and Outreach Terence Jeffrey, Visiting Fellow, Civic Literacy Paul Rhein, Director of Information Technology Dr. Gary Scott, Senior Research Fellow, Civic Literacy Faculty Advisors Dr. David D. Corey, Baylor University, Political Philosophy Prof. Eleanor D. Craig, University of Delaware, Economics Dr. Kenneth Dautrich, University of Connecticut, American Politics Dr. Andrew Foshee, McNeese State University, Economics Dr. Peter Gibbon, Boston University, Education Dr. Sanford Ikeda, State University of New York, Purchase College, Economics Dr. A. James McAdams, University of Notre Dame, International and Security Affairs Dr. John Quinn, Salve Regina University, History Dr. Brooks D. Simpson, Arizona State University, History Dr. Bradley C. S. Watson, Saint Vincent College, Political Philosophy Dr. R. V. Young, North Carolina State University, English Photos pages 1, 2, 5, 9, 18, 21, 23, 31, and 32 istockphoto. Photo page 15 BigStockPhoto.

31 ISI s National Civic Literacy Board Chairman Lt. General Josiah Bunting III President, H. Frank Guggenheim Foundation, Superintendent Emeritus, Virginia Military Institute Members Mrs. Ramona Bass Vice President, Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation Mr. T. William Boxx Chairman/CEO, Philip M. McKenna Foundation Hon. John Bridgeland President/CEO, Civic Enterprises Hon. T. Kenneth Cribb Jr. President, Intercollegiate Studies Institute Hon. Pete du Pont Policy Chairman, National Center for Policy Analysis Hon. John Engler President/CEO, National Association of Manufacturers Dr. Robert P. George McCormick Chair in Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program, Princeton University Dr. Victor Davis Hanson Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution Hon. Eugene W. Hickok Former Deputy Secretary of Education Mr. Roger Kimball Editor and Publisher, New Criterion Mr. Lewis E. Lehrman Senior Partner and Chairman, Lehrman & Company LLC Mr. Ross Mackenzie Editorial Page Contributing Columnist, Richmond Times-Dispatch Hon. John O. Marsh Jr. Former Secretary of the Army Mr. Carlos Moseley Chairman Emeritus, New York Philharmonic Mr. Michael Novak George Frederick Jewett Scholar, American Enterprise Institute Ms. Dorothy Rabinowitz Editorial Board Member, Wall Street Journal Vice Adm. John Ryan, USN (Ret.) Chief Executive, Center for Creative Leadership Mr. Thomas A. Saunders III Former Managing Partner, Morgan Stanley

32 w w w. a m e r i c a n c i v i c l i t e r a c y. o r g Intercollegiate Studies Institute American Civic Literacy Program Intercollegiate Studies Institute, Inc Centerville Road Wilmington, DE Phone (302) Fax (302)