[playing_games]

It's so disheartening to read stories like this.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060301/...BhBHNlYwM5NjQ-


And we basically control the world. Scary. I doubt that things are any better in other countries though.

Originally Posted by reported by AP

Americans apparently know more about "The Simpsons" than they do about the First Amendment.

Only one in four Americans can name more than one of the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment (freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition for redress of grievances.) But more than half can name at least two members of the cartoon family, according to a survey.

The study by the new McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum found that 22 percent of Americans could name all five Simpson family members, compared with just one in 1,000 people who could name all five First Amendment freedoms.

Joe Madeira, director of exhibitions at the museum, said he was surprised by the results.

"Part of the survey really shows there are misconceptions, and part of our mission is to clear up these misconceptions," said Madeira, whose museum will be dedicated to helping visitors understand the First Amendment when it opens in April. "It means we have our job cut out for us."

The survey found more people could name the three "American Idol" judges than identify three First Amendment rights. They were also more likely to remember popular advertising slogans.

It also showed that people misidentified First Amendment rights. About one in five people thought the right to own a pet was protected, and 38 percent said they believed the right against self-incrimination contained in the Fifth Amendment was a First Amendment right, the survey found.

The telephone survey of 1,000 adults was conducted Jan. 20-22 by the research firm Synovate and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Edit: To be honest, I could only name four of the five myself. I didn't get the petition one either.

[tabacco]

I always like to see the sample space for these studies. Calling 1000 people at random isn't really an accurate sample, in my opinion. Admittedly, it's probably indicative of a trend, but I'm not sure I believe that 38% of all Americans think the right to own a pet is protected by the first amendment. Also, the demographic is kind of bent when you consider the number and type of people willing to take a phone survey that asks them to name the Simpsons.

[Karmillo]

The right to own a pet is freedom of speech?
I agree with tobacco, unless americans have taking dogs I doubt 38% beleive that..

[fov]

Maybe it'd be different if a sitcom about the First Amendment had been on television 3-4 times a night for the last 16 years. (Bring back Schoolhouse Rock!)

I hate surveys like this because they're pointless. It's comparing apples and oranges.

[playing_games]

Originally Posted by tabacco

Calling 1000 people at random isn't really an accurate sample, in my opinion.

Statistically speaking (at least in theory), it actually does represent a valid sample. I'm with tabs about wanting to see the sample space though. We could have used learning more about how the survey was conducted as well. But, despite that, I do find the reported results very dissapointing and scary.

[Aj_]

It's an accurate sample according to statistical theory, but...
a) Intelligent people don't take phone surveys.
b) Some probably forget about their rights, as they get infringed upon.

[fov]

(I'd like to know if President Bush knows all five of the freedoms... Something tells me there are a lot of political figures who probably don't.)

[tabacco]

Yeah, that's also a valid point. Most Americans learn at least the bill of rights (amendments 1-10 for you pet owners ) at some pretty early point in their schooling, and don't exactly read them regularly after that. Although I know the gist of most of them, I certainly couldn't quote them or even recall exact phrasing in most cases, although I do remember being somehow disappointed that the word "speedy" actually apppears. Personally, I know that were I asked to name all of the first amendment protections, I would almost certainly have left out "petition for redress of grievences."

[tabacco]

Originally Posted by fov

(I'd like to know if President Bush knows all five of the freedoms... Something tells me there are a lot of political figures who probably don't.)

He doesn't read, remember?

[playing_games]

The First Amendment is one of the fundamental bulding blocks of the American Democracy and a large group of Americans not being aware of it accurately is not a good sign. The Simpsons and the American Idol have been hugely popular shows so the fact that Americans are well aware of them is not a bad thing per se on its own. But when that's combined with American blissfully unaware of such important things as the First Amendment, things start getting scary. As we all know, for a democratic political system to work, you need to have an informed public.

[Karmillo]

Hey does brittain have any sort of amendmant thing?

[playing_games]

Man, I hate the thread title I picked. Tabs, fov, can you guys change it to something like "Is the American Public Informed Enough"? I hate calling anybody (including myself since I am an American) dumb. I should have been more careful.

[fov]

Originally Posted by playing_games

The First Amendment is one of the fundamental bulding blocks of the American Democracy and a large group of Americans not being aware of it accurately is not a good sign.

Sure, but just because people couldn't rattle off the five freedoms doesn't mean they don't know they exist. Something tells me that if you asked the same 1000 people if freedom of religion, freedom of the press, etc. are protected by the US Constitution, they'll know it. It really isn't important for laypeople to know all the nitpicky details of the law, as long as they understand its basic intent.

It's like when people get all up in arms because American children can't name all 50 states. Who cares? Most of them will never travel to all 50 states anyway. If I had to choose between kids retaining every random detail they're forced to memorize in school, and understanding the basic meaning behind a few very important concepts (like freedom of speech, the difference between right and wrong, etc.), I'd much rather they were able to grasp the concepts than parrot back the details.

Hell, since we're talking about the Simpsons, that show has some clever social commentary woven into almost every single episode. Just because it's a cartoon doesn't make the people who watch it stupid (which is what the survey is implicitly suggesting).

Originally Posted by playing_games

Man, I hate the thread title I picked.

Fixed.

ps Incidentally, I couldn't name all five freedoms, and other than the right to bear arms and the right not to incriminate yourself, I can't recall any of the rest of the Bill of Rights. But I could certainly tell you why we shouldn't be at war right now, or why I believe in freedom of choice, or why a number of other things going on in the world right now scare the crap out of me.

[SakSquash]

Originally Posted by tabacco

I always like to see the sample space for these studies. Calling 1000 people at random isn't really an accurate sample, in my opinion. Admittedly, it's probably indicative of a trend, but I'm not sure I believe that 38% of all Americans think the right to own a pet is protected by the first amendment. Also, the demographic is kind of bent when you consider the number and type of people willing to take a phone survey that asks them to name the Simpsons.

He's right. If you were to ask me, I'd say most Americans know the first amendment better than the simpsons because 99% of the people I know do in fact know it better than the simpsons, but would that be accurate? No. Studies like that are just done to "wow" people, and there's hardly ever anything scientific about them. But Europeans love it because it makes them feel as though they're better than the US, and they really eat that sort of thing up.

[seebaruk]

I don't think at all that we're "better" than the US, but I went to school in San Diego for 2 years, and I've gotta say that a lot of my mates knew their pizza delivery menu a lot better than any of the amendments.

[Jatsie]

Originally Posted by Karmillo

Hey does brittain have any sort of amendmant thing?

We don't need amendments as we don't have a single document for a constitution, our laws are lots of exciting pieces of legislation floating around which people get to choose how to interpret. Apparently that's good because it's "flexible."

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I know my rights more or less, but I also know that if you're a dumb-ass American (and I know there are tons of you out there), the internet is your friend. After that the rest is up to you.

Bill of Rights - The full text of the Bill of Rights
The Constitution of the United States - The full text of the U.S. Constitution.
Foreword and Historical Notes - Introductory information about the U.S. Constitution, written by the Hon. Jack Brooks.

[Jelena]

Originally Posted by fov

If I had to choose between kids retaining every random detail they're forced to memorize in school, and understanding the basic meaning behind a few very important concepts (like freedom of speech, the difference between right and wrong, etc.), I'd much rather they were able to grasp the concepts than parrot back the details.

Amen! says the teacher.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Personally I'm far more good at concepts than just superficial and pointless memorizing. After all, what good is a skyscraper without its skeletal structure on which the everything is built on?

[tabacco]

Yep. I know that I have the right to a speedy trial, for example, but do I know what number that amendment is? No. Does it matter?