...Pew’s latest survey only reaffirms previous surveys demonstrating [that Republicans are more knowledgeable than Democrats].
In a scientific survey of 1,168 adults conducted during September and October of last year, respondents were asked not only multiple-choice questions, but also queries using maps, photographs and symbols. Among other subjects, participants identified international leaders, cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, nations on a world map, the current unemployment and poverty rates and war casualty totals.
In a 2010 Pew survey, Republicans outperformed Democrats on 10 of 12 questions, with one tie and Democrats outperforming Republicans on just 1 of the 12. In the latest survey, however, Republicans outperformed Democrats on every single one of 19 questions.
Amusingly, the Pew report attempted to soften the stark partisan knowledge disparity:
“Republicans generally outperformed Democrats on the current quiz. On 13 of the 19 questions, Republicans score significantly higher than Democrats and there are no questions on which Democrats did better than Republicans. In past knowledge quizzes, partisan differences have been more muted, though Republicans often have scored somewhat higher than Democrats.”
“Generally outperformed?” “Somewhat higher?” That’s a curiously charitable way to describe the surveys, which went from previous blowouts to a complete shutout in the latest edition.
The President's poster children -- the 66% of 18-to-29 year-olds that helped propel him into office -- have likely smartened up this year. That's the kind of lesson a 53 percent unemployment and underemployment rate for college grads younger than 25 will teach.
4 comments:
people who support the dems aren't dumb; they're under-informed.
they're under-informed because they believe the propaganda their party leaders feed them about the non-leftist media and therefore don't avail themselves of information that's available on fox in the wsj and in independent non-leftist websites - and on talkradio.
the party leaders continuously attack the media that's NOT dominated by leftists because they know that if their adherents hear BOTH sides they will likely see the light and vote gop or tea party or libertarian, and so on.
only by admonishing their adherents to avoid the media that's balanced can they keep most of their adherents on the reservation/plantation - and in the party ranks.
27 opingnf
Please provide a link to the actual test, i'd love to see it. I looked around on the Pew site but did not see it. While there I took a couple of their quizes, mind pnumbingly simple, and depressingly poor results for the general population.
"people who support the dems aren't dumb; they're under-informed."
You give them too much credit. They're D-U-M dumb. Let's stop pretending. They can't add. They can't understand that the government doesn't create money out of thin air. They assume that their failure is due to someone else stealing form them.
@ Anonymous person
http://www.people-press.org/2012/04/11/what-the-public-knows-about-the-political-parties/?src=prc-headline
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