Monday, April 4, 2011
I just don't understand this!
I read about a regular Pew Research Center news quiz, and took the latest one. I had no trouble getting all 11 questions right - they weren't particularly difficult. What floored me was the result sheet, which informed me that only 2% of respondents had done that well! 98% of respondents got one or more of the questions wrong - and they weren't tricky in any way! What's wrong with our people today, that they don't keep up with daily events, or follow even the most simple and basic of news reports?
I'm willing to bet that readers of this blog will do just as well as I did. Why don't you take the quiz yourself, and let us know how you did in Comments? While you're doing that, if you have any clue how 98% of respondents could possibly have gotten one or more of such simple questions wrong, I'd love to hear what you think.
Peter
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42 comments:
I got all 11 questions right, too. I thought I was going to get the one about the unemployment percentage wrong (as I'm really bad about numbers), but I got that right.
I missed two--the two missed by the most Americans, apparently. (I thought we spent more on interest on the national debt than Medicare, and I thought the GOP had a majority in both House and Senate.) Of the remaining 9, I was certain about five of them, moderately confident about the three numbers questions (unemployment, obesity, energy soure), and was honestly 50/50 on the Speaker of the House.
I got all 11 correct
but I am over 65 and ever so concerned about my country and grand children..
For the love of country
and the love of
GOD----
Keep your powder dry !!!!!!
8 of 11. All right, I think that is OK, here from Prague. (but I watch the news and that seems to be enough (missed 2, 8 and 10, for the record))
The "Question by question" is most interesting. It seems that the citizens do not remember whom they voted for, as question 8 has the least correct answers :)
Missed 2, same ones as skreidle.
I missed one question, but I'm Canadian and don't know that much.
Ha Timmeehh-gotcha.
This fellow Canuck must've got the one you missed. (Toronto's Globe and Mail covers a lot of US domestic news and politics from the50,000 ft. level, but still...it covers the ground).
8/11. Missed the unemployment (tried 5, as I was thinking the published rate is a hair under 7), spending (debt service), and obesity (by what standard? I guessed 50%.)
Not ashamed of it - to be blunt, there is only so much crap I can stuff in my noggin, and some of the fiddly details are going to get set aside for more useful information.
Got 11 right. Jay Leno has a show segment called Jaywalking where he asks people on the street similar but easier general knowledge questions. The responses will leave you wondering.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JEjXbLQOOE
11 of 11. The only ones I was "iffy" about were #5 and #11, but I got 'em anyway.
All 11 right. I can see missing one maybe two but that's it if you live in the US.
Gerry
10 of 11.... I missed the obesity question. My son is a combat medic, weighs 230 lbs is 6 feet tall and has about 3 ounces of fat. By federal standards, he's obese. I fell for the propaganda! ack!
10 out of 11, missed the one about obesity. I have no idea how I do well on these, I almost never watch news deliberately.
Missed the one on obesity, as I was too pessimistic. And missed the one about spending. I wonder how close the spending on the interest and medicare are, actually...
I don't get a newspaper any more, as there's only one income in our household. I get a lot of my news from blogs, and from the 15 minutes or so of listening to news/talk radio on my daily commute.
Got 7 out of 11. I would have liked to have done better, but since I'm an Aussie perhaps it's forgiveable? :)
A couple of questions I would simply not be interested in knowing.
10/11. Missed the unemployment number; I was too pessimistic. I still beat 91% of the responders. It's scary, as most were not hard questions.
10/11. I had the one about the biggest spending item down to a 50-50, and guessed the wrong one (interest on the national debt).
For the sake of my blood pressure I try to keep politics at arms' length, so I'm kinda surprised I didn't miss a couple more.
I missed the spending one - though it was "servicing the national debt."( Which, for someone who hales from a farm and ranch area, has a whole 'nother meaning!)
LittleRed1
WV: Stspola As in "St. Spola, the patron of indebted politicians, intercede with the upset population on our behalf. Grant them short memories and shorter attention spans."
8 out of 11, 67% percentile.
And I usually ignore political news.
11/11.
I wasn't sure about the obesity and Medicare vs. national debt interest, but guessed correctly on both.
I was expecting questions of rather more difficulty. I'm amazed that the vast majority of Americans didn't get at least 8 or 9 correct. But then again, many of our fellow citizens pay precious little attention to the world beyond their own skin.
11 of 11- one or two I did not know the correct answer but the others were obviously wrong- like the the founder of facebook...
Skreidle- do not feel bad- your answer on the debt is one failed treasury sale away......
The part I liked best was filling in -"high school or less"!
I got 5, 6, and 11 wrong. I wasn't going to post my results as I was rather ashamed of my poor showing. I was going to say coal for 11, but for some reason changed my mind. Guess I need to start paying better attention.
11 of 11, although I was completely unsure of the obesity question and answered the only answer that seemed reasonable to me.
I have to agree, I really didn't think it was that hard.
Like David:
Here's Your Score: You correctly answered 8 out of the 11 possible questions, which means you did better on the quiz than 66% of the general public.
Embarassed
11/11, but I make a point of staying well informed. It helps that I never, ever watch a TV news show. I don't even have cable.
I missed the Medicare one, and the obesity one. I could have sworn we had more fat people!
Antibubba
I was overly pessimistic about the unemployment rate. Or I was answering with the correct answer, as opposed to the 'official' answer... ;)
Even as a non US resident, non US citizen I got 10 of the 11 questions correct (despite guessing twice, on the unemployment and the obesity)
Got 11 out of 11, was a little iffy on the current "Official" stats for Obesity.
11/11 although I admit the obesity question was a good guess. Government obesity stats rank right up there with global warming statistics.
9 out of 11 - better than 79%.
Like many, I thought debt payments over Medicare, though that was my second choice.
Guessed wrong on Speaker of the House.
The only other one I was unsure of was #8 - I knew it was one, not both, made an educated guess and was right.
11/11 - The only one I wasn't sure of was the obesity question, but I guessed correctly. How the heck could only 2% pass that questionnaire?
11 of 11. 98% - many of whom will both vote and reproduce.
Depressing.
Missed one - Medicare.
Without an educated citizenry we are in trouble.
9 of 11. The two I missed were guesses.
Hmmm thought I may have missed one but seems I did ok - You correctly answered 11 out of the 11 possible questions, which means you did better on the quiz than 98% of the general public.
Missed the unemployment question.
11/11
I often find when I miss a question on one of these pew polls that it takes me all of a minute to find an official government statistic to say that I am right and they are wrong. On this one there is much to criticize in the way we measure obesity, for example, and the headline unemployment rate is only for those who are actively seeking work -- not that it is a bad statistic, it really is helpful in knowing how things change, but it might be hiding a lot of underemployment or giving-up.
Missed on no child left behind, took a guess and went with nutrition in schools (which I really thought was a logical guess, at least). All the rest I didnt' really have to guess at.
I got all 11 correct. I think I watch too much news and read too many blogs. :)
I got 9 but I'm a Canadian.
I did 10 out of 11, and they don't tell you which one you got wrong.
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