38 percent of American citizens fail U.S. citizenship test

Because we know you don’t already have enough to think about on a Monday morning, we bring you this tidbit. According to Newsweek, 38 percent of Americans who were given the standard citizenship test failed it.

Six percent couldn’t find Independence Day on a calendar.

The article did not mention whether people born in the country–thus automatically being entitled to citizenship–scored better or worse than naturalized citizens.

In possibly related news, the same article goes on to say that the wealthiest 400 households in the U.S. have more money than the bottom 60 percent of households–combined.

We’re not sure how this fits into the birther debate, but there has to be a connection.

From Newsweek:

NEWSWEEK gave 1,000 Americans the U.S. Citizenship Test—38 percent failed. The country’s future is imperiled by our ignorance. In this week’s issue, Andrew Romano looks at the risks involved in America’s ignorance.

They’re the sort of scores that drive high-school history teachers to drink. When NEWSWEEK recently asked 1,000 U.S. citizens to take America’s official citizenship test, 29 percent couldn’t name the vice president. Seventy-three percent couldn’t correctly say why we fought the Cold War. Forty-four percent were unable to define the Bill of Rights. And 6 percent couldn’t even circle Independence Day on a calendar.

Scot Kersgaard has been managing editor of a political newspaper, editor and co-owner of a ski town newspaper, executive editor of eight high-tech magazines (where he worked with current Apple CEO Tim Cook), deputy press secretary to a U.S. Senator, and an outdoors columnist at the Rocky Mountain News. He has an English degree from the University of Washington. He was awarded a fellowship to study internet journalism at the University of Maryland's Knight Center for Specialized Journalism. He was student body president in college. He spends his free time hiking and skiing.

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