On Sept. 17, 2014, 47 students and their teachers gathered in Washington, D.C. as part of a coast-to-coast celebration to commemorate Constitution Day. This year, the 227th anniversary of the writing of America’s founding document, was marked by 29 naturalization ceremonies from Maine to Alaska organized by the U.S. Courts; by a “Preamble Challenge” observed in 900 schools by thousands of students who recited the 52-word Preamble to the Constitution or otherwise; and the launch of the Civics Renewal Network, a partnership of 26 organizations dedicated to raising the profile of civics education, strengthening civic life, and making no-cost, high-quality resources available for teachers and others online at CivicsRenewalNetwork.org.
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day was established by the 2004 Byrd Amendment. Click here to see more photos from the day’s events, including an American Academy of Arts & Sciences panel on the role of civic institutions at the Newseum’s Knight Conference Center. Watch students participate in the Preamble Challenge here, on the Civics Renewal Network website.
A survey released by the Annenberg Public Policy Center for Constitution Day found that Americans know surprisingly little about their own government and Constitution. While a little more than a third of respondents (36 percent) could name all three branches of the U.S. government, just as many (35 percent) could not name a single one. Learn more about the survey here. Read news coverage of the day below.
News coverage of the events:
Annenberg Public Policy Center civics knowledge survey:
- Baseball’s Problem Is Politics’ Problem (The Daily Beast, Nov. 4, 2014)
- What No One Talks About During Election Season: Voter Ignorance (Forbes, Nov. 3, 2014)
- Americans’ grasp on civic knowledge is shaky at best, study finds (The Boston Globe, Oct. 7, 2014)
- Editorial: Students need civics education (GreenvilleOnline, Oct. 7, 2014)
- What if students can’t pass the test? (Houma Today, Oct. 3, 2014)
- RedBlue America: How important is voting? (The Desert Sun, Oct. 2, 2014)
- Robert Holland, Don Soifer: A nation of know-nothings on civics (Providence Journal, Oct. 2, 2014)
- In Our View: Civics Lesson Sorely Needed (The Columbian, Sept. 28, 2014)
- Should Students In Missouri Take U.S. Citizenship Test? (St. Louis Public Radio, Sept. 26, 2014)
- Fight ignorance: Teach civics better (Montgomery Advertiser, Sept. 25, 2014)
- Could Civics Education Reduce Voter Apathy? (The Wall Street Journal (Washington Wire), Sept. 23, 2014)
- Most Americans can’t name which parties control the House and Senate (Fusion, Sept. 22, 2014)
- 12-year-old competes on “Up Against the Clock” (MSNBC, “Up with Steve Kornacki,” Sept. 20, 2014)
- The survey that proves the republic is unsalvageable (Washington Examiner, Sept. 19, 2014)
- Constitution Day? Most Americans Can’t Identify Branches of Government (Headlines & Global News, Sept. 19, 2014)
- An Astonishing Number of Americans Don’t Know How Our Government Actually Works (Policy Mic, Sept. 19, 2014)
- Should we let 16-year-olds vote? (The Washington Post (blog), Sept. 19, 2014)
- Nearly two-thirds of Americans can’t name all three branches of government (The Week, Sept. 19, 2014)
- 37 percent of Americans think a free press is overrated (The Washington Post (Wonkblog), Sept. 19, 2014)
- Only 36 percent of Americans can name all 3 branches of government: Can you? (AL.com, Sept. 19, 2014)
- Facts & Figures: Don’t Know Much About Government (The New York Times (blog), Sept. 19, 2014)
- AP honcho lists press-restricting ways of Obama administration (The Washington Post, Sept. 19, 2014)
- Nearly half of Americans unaware of which party controls House, Senate: poll (NY Daily News, Sept. 19, 2014)
- We’re a nation of dunces: Most Americans don’t know which parties control House, Senate (The Washington Times, Sept. 19, 2014)
- A Shocking Number Of Americans Don’t Know Basic Facts About The US Government (Business Insider, Sept. 19, 2014)
- Civics education gets a push (Politico, Sept. 19, 2014)
- Only 36 percent of Americans can name the three branches of government (The Washington Post (Govbeat), Sept. 18, 2014)
- Survey: Most Americans do not know the three branches of the U.S. government (Examiner.com, Sept. 18, 2014)
- Three former SC governors want students to take civics test (Morning News, Sept. 18, 2014)
- Annenberg Public Policy Center survey provides new evidence of widespread political ignorance (The Washington Post (blog), Sept. 18, 2014)
- How people got the government they deserve (Minnesota Public Radio News, Sept. 18, 2014)
- Celebrating 227th anniversary of Constitution’s signing (The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sept. 18, 2014)
- Arizona bombs civics, but we can change that (The Arizona Republic, Sept. 18, 2014)
- Survey: Most Americans Can’t Name All Three Branches of Government (Mediaite, Sept. 18, 2014)
- “Conan” opening monologue (Team Coco, Sept. 18, 2014)
- Can you name a branch of government? (Politico, Sept. 18, 2014)
- Nearly 2/3 of Americans Can’t Name the Three Branches of Government. But That’s Not the Real Problem. (Big Think, Sept. 18, 2014)
- One in three Americans can’t name a single branch of the U.S. government, poll finds (Daily Mail, Sept. 18, 2014)
- Proposal would ask S.C. students to take civics test (Greenville Online, Sept. 17, 2014)
- Can you pass the U.S. Citizenship Civics Test? Seven states may soon require it to graduate from high school. (The Washington Post (GovBeat), Sept. 17, 2014)
- Funding Doesn’t Follow National Praise for Civic Education (Education Week, Sept. 17, 2014)
- It’s National Constitution Day… But Do You Know How Your Government Works? (CBS Philly, Sept. 17, 2014)
- Report on KYW-AM from Pat Loeb (Newsradio 1060, Sept. 17, 2014)
Naturalization Ceremonies:
- 73 Naturalized in West Branch (CBS2 (Iowa), Sept. 18, 2014)
- Constitution Day heralds new group of citizens (Toledo Blade (Ohio), Sept. 18, 2014)
- Celebrating Constitution Day and new citizenship (The Washington Post, Sept. 17, 2014)
- Celebrating the Constitution at National Constitution Center (6ABC, Sept. 17, 2014)
- German violinist Augustin Hadelich plays ‘America the Beautiful’ during his naturalization ceremony (NY Daily News, Sept 17, 2014)
- What all citizens can learn from new ones (NY Daily News, Sept. 17, 2014)
- West Branch welcomes 73 new citizens on Constitution Day (Iowa City Press-Citizen, Sept. 17, 2014)
- 146 people become U.S. citizens in ceremony (Deseret News, Sept. 17, 2014)
- More than 70 Iowans become U.S. citizens (The Gazette, Sept. 17, 2014)
- 29 candidates become U.S. citizens in Auburn (WSFA (Alabama), Sept. 17, 2014)
- More than 200 new U.S. citizens naturalized at Alamo (San Antonio Express News, Sept. 17, 2014)
- On Constitution Day, Americans Know Little About Government (The Daily Caller, Sept. 17, 2014)
- Philly Celebrates Signing of Constitution (NBC10 Philadelphia, Sept. 17, 2014)
- ‘Affirmation’: New Citizens Sworn in on Constitution Day (NBC4 Washington, Sept. 17, 2014)
- 63 New U.S. Citizens Sworn in at Naturalization Ceremony in Des Moines (WHO, Sept. 16, 2014)
- Dozens of new citizens welcomed during ceremony Tuesday (KCCI News 8 (Iowa), Sept. 16, 2014)
