We're dumb. So dumb.
That's the (dumbed-down) conclusion of a recent study by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.
Out of a pool of 2,500 randomly selected Americans, more than 1,700 sub-citizens failed a 33-question test on basic civic literacy. The average score was an abysmal 49 percent.
Astonishingly, elected officials performed marginally worse than the general population.
Those with college degrees scored only a few points better than high-school graduates. So much for the fancy sheepskin on the wall.
If you'd like to see how you're doing in the citizenship department, go to www.americancivicliteracy.org and click on “Take the Quiz.” (Your grade will be immediately e-mailed back when you finish.)
This latest insult to our national intelligence comes as no surprise. As a rule, Americans spend too much time watching TV and too little time talking about public affairs or reading newspapers, according to the ISI scolds.
For example, more than twice as many people knew Paula Abdul was a judge on “American Idol” than the origin of the phrase “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
Is what's true on the national level also true on the local? Is there a basic body of knowledge that citizens of North County should know before exercising their right to vote?
In that vein, I invite you to take the following (admittedly eccentric) test and feel either like a dolt or North County's answer to Thomas Jefferson.
The answers will be published Sunday in this space. Feel free to send me your reactions to the test as well as better questions.
Who knows? We may find that we're smarter than we think. Or at least capable of learning.
Ready? Here goes. (And no fair running to Google.)
1. Who was Ralph M. Brown?
A. Governor of California and father of Jerry Brown
B. A well-known car dealer in San Diego
C. Politician who championed state's open-meeting law
D. Escondido's first elected mayor
2. How many incorporated cities are in North County (excluding the city of San Diego)?
A. Seven
B. Eight
C. Nine
D. Ten
3. What is a charter city?
A. One of California's pre-1900 cities
B. A city that leases land from the state
C. A city that votes to set its own municipal laws
D. A city that partners with charter schools
4. In formerly “blighted” redevelopment areas, what is tax increment financing?
A. The total sales tax collected from new businesses
B. The difference between old and new property-tax revenue in the area
C. The transient-occupancy tax in the redeveloped area
D. The tax developers pay for the right to build on city land
5. Which North County city does not have its own police department?
A. Carlsbad
B. Vista
C. Escondido
D. Oceanside
6. What North County city has the largest population?
A. Escondido
B. Vista
C. Carlsbad
D. Oceanside
7. Which is the oldest city in North County?
A. Poway
B. Fallbrook
C. Escondido
D. Oceanside
8. Which is the youngest city in North County?
A. Solana Beach
B. Encinitas
C. Both of the above
D. Neither of the above
9. What does SANDAG, or the San Diego Association of Governments, do?
A. Oversees the organization and development of government agencies, including cities
B. Oversees regional planning, including transportation
C. Exercises veto power over the land-use decisions of cities and unincorporated communities
D. Organizes regular meetings during which government agencies reconcile differences
10. Who among the following office holders are subject to term limits?
A. County supervisors
B. Carlsbad council members
C. San Marcos council members
D. Poway council members
11. Who famously said, “We're not Franciscans”?
A. Father Junipero Serra on his arrival in San Diego
B. Alonzo Horton, declaring San Diego's superiority to San Francisco
C. North County Supervisor Bill Horn, defending a pay raise
D. Orfila Vineyards owner Alejandro Orfila, explaining why the winery will never make brandy
Logan Jenkins: (760) 737-7555; logan.jenkins@uniontrib.com.
