Pew Research has just published a new survey asking questions about basic knowledge relating to international geography and politics. Here are the questions and the percentage of respondents who got the answer right.
It's sad that one third of Americans can't recognise the euro sign! It's not hard, it's a stylised 'e' (€), just as the yen sign is a stylised Y (¥).
Nearly two thirds of the US population can't identify the flag of India, where 1.3 billion people live, and which will soon enough overtake China as the world's most populous country.
Obviously the more educated people are the better they answered those basic questions. But nevertheless the post graduates only got 82% of right answers, in what I would think anybody with a high school degree should know. Interestingly the gap in knowledge between men and women is almost as big as between college graduates and those who only went to high school or less.
Here is the breakdown of correct answers by education level.
Having a better knowledge of the world also translates in differences of opinions and notably a more favourable view of the EU and NATO and a less favourable one of China.
It's sad that one third of Americans can't recognise the euro sign! It's not hard, it's a stylised 'e' (€), just as the yen sign is a stylised Y (¥).
Nearly two thirds of the US population can't identify the flag of India, where 1.3 billion people live, and which will soon enough overtake China as the world's most populous country.
Obviously the more educated people are the better they answered those basic questions. But nevertheless the post graduates only got 82% of right answers, in what I would think anybody with a high school degree should know. Interestingly the gap in knowledge between men and women is almost as big as between college graduates and those who only went to high school or less.
Here is the breakdown of correct answers by education level.
Having a better knowledge of the world also translates in differences of opinions and notably a more favourable view of the EU and NATO and a less favourable one of China.