The results from our History & Civics Quiz number 3 are in, and the findings are intriguing. While 202 quiz respondents showed overwhelming alignment on 5 of 6 questions, there was notable confusion (nearly a 50/50 split) on the tasks of the president vs. the tasks of Congress. The takeaway: A brush-up on our three-way governing structure may be needed before we get much deeper into the primaries!

Question 3, the only contested question, states that regulating commerce with foreign nations, establishing post offices/roads, providing and maintaining a Navy, and borrowing money on the credit of the U.S. are duties of the president. The statement is not accurate; all four of these are duties granted to the U.S. Congress. This signals a gap in the public’s understanding of the legislative branch of government. 

Respondents were remarkably aligned on key concepts: 

• 94% agreed that elected representatives should guard the public’s wellbeing, exemplify patriotism and love of justice, and possess wisdom to discern the true interests of the country.

• 92% recognized the 6 civic purposes set out in the Preamble of the Constitution.

• 85% agreed that the President is an elected representative of the whole citizenry.

• Amazingly, 93% disagreed that the health of our civic institutions is the sole responsibility of our elected leaders. We assume that means it’s up to all of us, though some may have tasked it to the Supreme Court!

Civics teaches us that we as citizens have a responsibility to be actively engaged and informed in order to help shape policy, so it’s good to see that idea was clear among most of those who took the quiz.

Of the 202 respondents, most (about 72%) represent voters registered with a major party. The others identified as voters who are not affiliated with a major party (about 17%), new voters who either voted for the first time last year or will in the upcoming presidential election (about 5%), and those who don’t fall into any of these categories (about 6%). 

We hope this quiz sparks further conversation and reflection on your own civic understanding. CivicStory will continue to explore civics education and knowledge in future quizzes. 

See all results from our History & Civics Quiz here.