Most Mississippians can’t pass U.S. citizenship exam. Is American history education the problem?

Nearly 70 percent of Mississippi residents are unable to pass the U.S. citizenship test, which assesses basic knowledge of American history, according to new survey results released earlier this month by the Woodrow Wilson Foundation. Scores on the 20-question test placed Mississippi near the bottom nationally; residents of only three states – Arkansas, Kentucky and Louisiana – had lower scores.

The survey asked 41,000 Americans adults to show their knowledge of American history by, for example, placing presidents in context of historic events, naming some of the 13 original states, and determining the time periods of various wars. A score of 60 percent or higher is considered passing. Nationwide, only 40 percent of Americans received a passing score. Vermont was the only state in which the majority of residents passed, with 53 percent of Vermont’s survey takers scoring 60 percent or higher.

Survey respondents had the most trouble with questions that asked them to name the year the U.S. Constitution was written and state the number of constitutional amendments. A quarter of Americans were unaware that the First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech.