Woodrow Wilson Foundation Finds Only One State Can Pass U.S. Citizenship Exam

Bottom Line: A 2019 survey of 41,000 Americans commissioned by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation found that of citizens in the 50 states surveyed, only the citizens of Vermont were able to pass a basic multiple-choice test on American history.

Survey results from 41,000 Americans who took a multiple-choice test featuring basic questions on American history show that American civic education is in a state of disrepair. Only 27 percent of Americans under the age of 45 demonstrated a basic understanding of American history. In fact, just 4 in 10 Americans passed the nationwide exam commissioned by the Woodrow Wilson Foundation.

Only 15 percent of those surveyed knew the year the Constitution was written; just 25 percent knew the number of the amendments to the Constitution. A shockingly low number of Americans—25 percent—did not know that freedom of speech is one of the basic freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment.

Only the state of Vermont received a passing grade out of all 50 states, followed by Wyoming South Dakota, Montana, and Virginia. The bottom five states were Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Louisiana.

“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,” said Woodrow Wilson Foundation President Arthur Levine.

Responding to these survey results, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation launched a major initiative that provides “high school students with an interactive digital platform intended to make American history more interesting and appreciated by all learners.” The Foundation hopes that by utilizing the “latest development in cognitive learning” students will improve their understanding of the country they call home.

Read the full report here.