Think Progress

15 percent:

By Ali Frick on Sep 13th, 2007 at 5:36 pm

15 percent:

Number of Americans who can name the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John Roberts, compared with 66 percent of Americans who can name “at least one of the judges on the Fox television show American Idol.” The new study also reveals that 70 percent of those surveyed did not know that Supreme Court decisions are final.



83 Responses to “15 percent:”

  1. Ringo says:

    We get your point; Americans are stupid.


  2. Grand Moff Texan says:

    Considering what Roberts has in common with Clay Aiken, I’m sure this is a temporary state of affairs.
    .


  3. Ringo says:

    Who the heck is Clay Aiken?


  4. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    We get your point; Americans are stupid.

    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007 @ 5:38 pm

    Apparently, you don’t get the point. And you can only speak for yourself, Wrongo.


  5. bill says:

    Final however; I think Congress can override !!!!!!!????? WHich is close to impossible.


  6. Ringo says:

    Apparently, you don’t get the point. And you can only speak for yourself, Wrongo.

    Comment by The Republic of Stupidity
    ——————————————————–

    I thought that the whole reason for this website was to demonstrate how stupid Americans are.

    Afterall, what’s the point of your moniker?


  7. powkat says:

    Americans aren’t stupid, they are badly educated. And NCLB continues the downward spiral – teaching facts and formulae to the test questions does not expand the brain – we should be teaching children critical thinking. Of course critical thinking is not in the interest of the corporate kleptocracy – thinking people don’t slaver over every new product and rush out to buy it.


  8. Jay Randal says:

    I never watch American Idol, so I would flunk that test > lol.


  9. gummitch says:

    I thought that the whole reason for this website was to demonstrate how stupid Americans are.

    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007 @ 5:46 pm

    It’s apparently the whole reason for allowing comments from people like you, yes.


  10. freeman says:

    Democracy will never truly exist without an informed and involved public .The Internet is the greatest tool in history for making democracy a reality !The Bush Administration is going to help Iraqi democracy while showing an unambiguous disdain for democratic institutions which generations of American citizens have given their lives to establish and defend .


  11. secularprogressiveboy says:

    Supreme Court decisions aren’t necessarily “final.” the Congress can overturn them by amending certain statutes that were struck down or can add to them the things that plaintiff’s claimed in their suits that the Court said didn’t exist.


  12. big bad bush says:

    I got flamed by regulars of this site a while back for calling the average American stupid.


  13. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    Afterall, what’s the point of your moniker?

    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007 @ 5:46 pm

    There’s a lot of stupidity going around these days (you’ve proven that many times), Wrongo!

    My choice of moniker has nothing to do w/ what TP chooses to post. No, the point of this website isn’t to demonstrate “Americans are stupid” (You’re making this waaay too easy, BTW…). But it does serve to highlight how uninformed the general public has chosen to become (the point of my moniker too :-D!!) over subject matter like “How does the SCOTUS work?”

    Perhaps an electorate that chooses to be truly informed would result in a more honest, responsible government. That might even be a more HONESTLY conservative government, (which the Bush Admin is NOT) for all we know. Right now, the American public, by and large, chooses to be dumb as rainwater.


  14. Polly Mathe says:

    “I thought that the whole reason for this website was to demonstrate how stupid Americans are.”

    Comment by Ringo

    And now you understand how valuable your contibutions are.


  15. Ringo says:

    …we should be teaching children critical thinking. Of course critical thinking is not in the interest of the corporate kleptocracy – thinking people don’t slaver over every new product and rush out to buy it.

    Comment by powkat — September 13, 2007 @ 5:46 pm
    —————————————————————————–

    Also known as “critical pedagogy”:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_pedagogy

    This is a teaching approach which is designed to place Marxist assumptions into the minds of students.

    The name “critical pedagogy” is as dishonest as most of the headlines at ThinkProgress.


  16. secularprogressiveboy says:

    Ringo,

    wikipedia is not the authoritative source on anything. its usually a fall-back position for conservatives who can’t think with their own mind.


  17. Corporate Jesus says:

    I believe that most US Americans just don’t have cases in front of the Supreme Court as like and such for the children of Iraq and our future childrens futures. Americans not be stupids.


  18. candideinnc says:

    That takes care of the circus, now who is supplying the bread?



  19. gummitch says:

    Also known as “critical pedagogy”:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_pedagogy

    This is a teaching approach which is designed to place Marxist assumptions into the minds of students.

    The name “critical pedagogy” is as dishonest as most of the headlines at ThinkProgress.

    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007 @ 5:57 pm

    You’ve got a lot of nerve complaining about dishonesty. Rather than link to the Wiki article on “critical thinking” you create a strawman.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking

    So why not link to that, instead of claiming that it was identical to “critical pedagogy” and proceeding to attack that theory?

    Is your photo next to the dictionary entry for “Liar”?


  20. Wayne A. Schneider says:

    I think more Americans can name all five members of The Simpsons family than can name any Supreme Court Justices.


  21. Zep Tepi says:

    Marxist ambitions.-Ringo

    Just the other day the uninformed trolls were backing Marx.

    Marxist ambitions wont come from the schools but because unmoderated greed [Free Market] will eventually choke on its on vomit.


  22. gummitch says:

    I think more Americans can name all five members of The Simpsons family than can name any Supreme Court Justices.

    Comment by Wayne A. Schneider — September 13, 2007 @ 6:03 pm

    To be fair, Americans have an opportunity to see the Simpson family a whole lot more often than they see the Supremes, especially since the Supremes cut back on their own workload drastically.

    Maybe they could have their own show!


  23. Zep Tepi says:

    Well since we know the media is not liberal..

    Way to go Publicans! A society of uninformed boob tubers!

    Hey trolls, look! A new reality show!
    [trolls run off going, "Oook! Oook!]


  24. Ringo says:

    So why not link to that, instead of claiming that it was identical to “critical pedagogy” and proceeding to attack that theory?

    Comment by gummitch
    —————————————————-

    I just know that when most Leftists use the phrase “critical thinking”, what they mean is “think like me”…Which is the reson why Leftists create educational tactics such as “critical pedagogy”in the first place.


  25. Buck Fush says:

    American Idol? What the heck is that? Oh TV, sorry, never watch it, too busy with life things and all that.
    It says alot about most Americans, they are easily distracted with fluff, they are synical about politics and could give a rats ass anymore about what goes on in government as long as it does not directly effect them “at the moment”.
    When our economy crashes (think debt to China) then they will be saying, “What? This affects me? How could this have happened?” Then we who have been screaming about what was sure to happen will be in the same boat as the sheeple that did not pay attention and are now screwed.


  26. tom baker says:

    I’m not so sure you know that, Ringo.


  27. Zep Tepi says:

    create educational tactics such as “critical pedagogy”in the first place.
    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007

    Think like me means think for yourself. Sapre Aude!


  28. Bobwurst says:

    “I thought that the whole reason for this website was to demonstrate how stupid Americans are.

    Comment by Ringo ”

    This website merely allows people to show how stupid they are. Congratulations.


  29. Zep Tepi says:

    create educational tactics such as “critical pedagogy”in the first place.
    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007

    Think like me means think for yourself. Sapre Aude!

    The Iraq unemployment rate is 70%

    75% of the doctors have fled Iraq along with 2.2 million others.

    UN High Commission for Refugees – refugees has risen from 50,000 to 60,000 a month

    70 per cent of Iraqis- security has got worse during the last six months



  30. Zep Tepi says:

    Which is the reson why Leftists create educational tactics such as “critical pedagogy”in the first place. -Ringo

    Yeh, they should buy more of Neil Bushs’ Excite! Program with catchy tunes and phrases [and not much else], just like TV!


  31. secularprogressiveboy says:

    I just know that when most Leftists use the phrase “critical thinking”, what they mean is “think like me”…Which is the reson why Leftists create educational tactics such as “critical pedagogy”in the first place.

    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007 @ 6:13 pm

    ——————————-

    I seem to remember that not that long ago people who didn’t agree with or think like the almighty Bush-Chimp were branded as traitorous, troop-hating, terrorist-appeasing, unpatriotic americans.

    all the Bush-conservatives think alike and they all need this daddy figure in their lives to tell them how think and act. Bush is their daddy.


  32. gummitch says:

    I just know that when most Leftists use the phrase “critical thinking”, what they mean is “think like me”…Which is the reson why Leftists create educational tactics such as “critical pedagogy”in the first place.

    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007 @ 6:13 pm

    I can see how the phrase “critical thinking” might throw you for a loop, based on this pathetic exercise alone.

    For that matter, I can see that the word “thinking” is unfamiliar territory.


  33. EvilCornbread says:

    Wow, you mean pop culture is…popular? More popular than civics? I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you.

    And Supreme Court decisions AREN’T final. See Dred Scott, and many many others.


  34. missmolly says:

    This is sad. Children are never presented with the idea that learning can be enjoyable. Education has become test-prep stuff to be memorized, regurgitated for EOG tests, and promptly forgotten. Learning isn’t a joy, it’s a matter of great stress (thank you, No Child Left Behind!).

    Children are no longer taught to think for themselves. Whatever time they have available outside of school is taken up with television, video games, and other pursuits where others tell them what to think.

    We’re not stupid. We are ignorant and badly conditioned. There’s a difference.

    When you have enough people who don’t care to learn anything on their own, who have forgotten basic school lessons, and who are never exposed to anything other than mindless entertainment, you have a lot of people who don’t know who the Chief Justice of SCOTUS is, or care.

    This works well for our leaders — softened brains mean they will suck up anything they are told, without question. Which is probably why so many people believe that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11.


  35. Ringo says:

    all the Bush-conservatives think alike and they all need this daddy figure in their lives to tell them how think and act. Bush is their daddy.

    Comment by secularprogressiveboy
    ————————————————————-

    Guess I’m not a Bush-conservative then.


  36. kelso says:

    New Fox show: ‘American Retard’


  37. secularprogressiveboy says:

    conservatives don’t believe in critical thinking. it’s a scary realm for them to be in. they need their ancient texts full of ancient myth’s and magic and their father-figures to tell them how to think and act.


  38. trollbuster says:

    I just know that when most Leftists use the phrase “critical thinking”, what they mean is “think like me”…Which is the reson why Leftists create educational tactics such as “critical pedagogy”in the first place.

    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007 @ 6:13 pm

    What you think you “know” Wrongo (h/t TROS) is that when people learn to think critically — evaluating information from a variety of sources, synthesizing it into a coherent body of knowledge and forming a justifiable conclusion — they generally wind up embracing liberal positions.

    So it only SEEMS to you like “Leftists” equate the term “critical thinking” with liberal thought. In fact, critical thinking LEADS to liberal thought.

    So the end result is the same. You just had the process backwards.


  39. Dermot says:

    got flamed by regulars of this site a while back for calling the average American stupid.

    Comment by big bad bush

    You’re an effet arsehole who stays silent while the nazi jokes about one million dead in order to remain polite and gentlemanly.


  40. Dermot says:

    Guess I’m not a Bush-conservative then.

    Comment by Ringo

    You’re right. You’re a Bush-nazi


  41. missmolly says:

    And Supreme Court decisions AREN’T final. See Dred Scott, and many many others.

    Comment by EvilCornbread — September 13, 2007 @ 6:31 pm

    I think the implication here is that Supreme Court decisions are final as far as the court system is concerned, which is true. There is no higher court to take your case to, and this is something we should have all learned in our social studies classes.

    But as far as being final and incapable of being changed by any means, that’s not true. A Supreme Court decision can be reversed by the Supreme Court (as opponents of Roe v. Wade hope will happen someday), and the constitution can be amended so that what was once constitutional is no longer, or vice versa. And we should have learned this in our social studies classes, too.


  42. keepinon says:

    Perhaps there are some like myself who would rather forget who is the CJOTSC. Just a guess.


  43. Zep Tepi says:

    Guess I’m not a Bush-conservative then.
    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007

    If I were Mr P, or Jake D. you would be because what ever I think your view is, then that IS what your view IS not matter how much you profess it not to be. What do they call that? Pundit Pedagogy?

    Thats the thing about the Limbaugh, Oreilly, Coulter group ESP fad. People watch TV, or Listen to it on the radio, and because they are popular, like that AI judge Simon, its the TWOoOoOoOOooOOooOOF!!


  44. Dermot says:

    RIngo,

    Don’t worry, you’ll be receiving your storm trooper uniform in the mail soon to be worn at official parades. Then you’ll understand who you really are.


  45. Ringo says:

    So it only SEEMS to you like “Leftists” equate the term “critical thinking” with liberal thought. In fact, critical thinking LEADS to liberal thought.

    So the end result is the same. You just had the process backwards.

    Comment by trollbuster
    ——————————————————–

    I didn’t say “liberal”, I said “Leftist”.

    ….I am very much for liberalism, in the classical sense at least.

    Sadly, most of the people who post here are not liberal, they’re Leftists.


  46. Dermot says:

    ….I am very much for liberalism, in the classical sense at least

    Ringo is another Albert Speer. Well educated adorer of a mass murderer


  47. Ringo says:

    You’re a Bush-nazi

    Comment by Dermot
    ———————————————-

    Does that mean I was a Clinton-nazi when I voted for him?


  48. Dermot says:

    Ringo

    Especially if you supported the Iraq sanctions that resulted in the death of one million Iraqi children do to lack of medicines. Their deaths were planned. Their deaths were a weapon of war intended to force IRaqis to rise up against Saddam. It didn’t work, but Madeline Allbright still thought their deaths were worth it.


  49. Polly Mathe says:

    Ring-worm isn’t really all that picky about liberal, conservative, lefty or righty, he just likes warm, dark, unwashed crevices to hang out in.


  50. trollbuster says:

    I didn’t say “liberal”, I said “Leftist”.

    ….I am very much for liberalism, in the classical sense at least.

    Sadly, most of the people who post here are not liberal, they’re Leftists.

    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007 @ 6:43 pm

    I KNOW you said “Leftist”. That’s why I put it in quotation marks — because you were obviously being either

    a) sarcastic

    or

    b) moronic

    I chose to give you the benefit of the doubt. I guess I chose wrongly.

    Sadly, you don’t appear to know the difference between “liberal” and “Leftist”. I don’t know if that’s because you were never taught critical thinking skills or if the term “Leftist” just serves your purpose better and so you don’t care about using language accurately, only offensively.


  51. Spudge_Boy says:

    Sadly, most of the people who post here are not liberal, they’re Leftists.

    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007 @ 6:43 pm

    Yes and you are a rightist. You are a Hilter loving fascist.

    There you can say stupid sh!t and so can I.

    Now, let’s see you type something intelligent for a change. Do you have an opinion, or just an a$$hole?


  52. Zep Tepi says:

    Sadly, most of the people who post here are not liberal, they’re Leftists. Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007

    According to the silly trolls from S.O.S progressives are liberals and therefore they must attack Liberals cause Ann Coulter says so.

    And no, I am not Leftist, I am moderate. The last thing I want to see in America is a Dictator or King, but thats exactly what many of the right wing federalist types and the fundamentalists want under the name of Unitary Executiove


  53. Spudge_Boy says:

    Does that mean I was a Clinton-nazi when I voted for him?

    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007 @ 6:46 pm

    Yes.

    You voted for something you hate. I would never vote for Bush, so I guess I am just a tad bit smarter than you.

    Clinton sold missile guidance systems to our frenemies in China. Why didn’t you fu*king retards impeach him for that?


  54. Germaine says:

    I just know that when most Leftists use the phrase “critical thinking”, what they mean is “think like me”…Which is the reson why Leftists create educational tactics such as “critical pedagogy”in the first place.

    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007 @ 6:13 pm

    Proof of your lack of ability to think critically, if at all.


  55. Ringo says:

    Especially if you supported the Iraq sanctions that resulted in the death of one million Iraqi children do to lack of medicines.

    Comment by Dermot
    ————————————————-

    Regardless of the fact that the 1 million number is grossly inflated, their deaths are directly attributable to Saddam Hussein and the United Nations.


  56. Dermot says:

    RIngo – you would make a good Hilary supporter. She wants to widen the war to Iran if they don’t tow her line, and to Afghanistan.

    Bill was on Larry King just yesterday talking about how he could have gotten Bin Laden if only he’d had sufficient forces.

    Sounded like the weaving of a new Hilary warlike stance intended to impress reich-wingers just like you.


  57. Ringo says:

    Do you have an opinion, or just an a$$hole?

    Comment by Spudge_Boy
    ———————————————————

    I have both.


  58. Dermot says:

    Regardless of the fact that the 1 million number is grossly inflated, their deaths are directly attributable to Saddam Hussein and the United Nations.

    Comment by Ringo

    Wrong again Ringo.

    Directly attributable to the sanctions. In fact, the death of the children was a planned tactic of the sanctions. Children were to die due to lack of medicines to force Iraqis to rise up. Except they didn’t. But Madeline Allbright still had no problem with the tactic or its being carried out. Nazi tactics extraordinaire. Right up your alley.


  59. Ringo says:

    RIngo – you would make a good Hilary supporter. She wants to widen the war to Iran if they don’t tow her line, and to Afghanistan.

    Bill was on Larry King just yesterday talking about how he could have gotten Bin Laden if only he’d had sufficient forces.

    Sounded like the weaving of a new Hilary warlike stance intended to impress reich-wingers just like you.

    Comment by Dermot
    ———————————————————–

    So if Hillary gets the Democratic Party’s nomination, will you vote for her?


  60. Ringo says:

    Children were to die due to lack of medicines to force Iraqis to rise up. Except they didn’t. But Madeline Allbright still had no problem with the tactic or its being carried out. Nazi tactics extraordinaire. Right up your alley.

    Comment by Dermot
    ———————————————-

    Food and medicine were exempt from the sanctions?


  61. Dermot says:

    So if Hillary gets the Democratic Party’s nomination, will you vote for her?

    Comment by Ringo

    No. I will vote for Ron Paul, unless a Democrat gets the guts to stand up against the war.


  62. Dermot says:

    Food and medicine were exempt from the sanctions?

    Comment by Ringo

    Wrong again Ringo. Get something reich for a change will you.


  63. Ringo says:

    Re#62

    Should read:

    “Food and medicine were exempt from the sanctions.”

    It was not supposed to be a question.


  64. Dermot says:

    Ringo

    You are wrong. Just plain wrong


  65. Spudge_Boy says:

    Do you have an opinion, or just an a$$hole?

    Comment by Spudge_Boy
    ———————————————————

    I have both.

    Comment by Ringo — September 13, 2007 @ 6:54 pm

    Then why don’t you tell people what your opinion is instead of just making comments that make you look stupid?

    I am serious. Why don’t you ever say anything that has value? Your stupid Marx comments and leftists sh!t isn’t true and you know it, but you like trolling.

    Do you not understand that what you do here shows signs of a mental problem? Do you like being a shill and troll?

    I know that you will reply with some stupid statement and that is your prerogative. But, it really is sad that you don’t have a life other than posting asinine comments on a lefty sight when you are a righty. Doesn’t your family wonder what you are doing on the PC ALL day at a web site where you are despised, because all you can do is post stupid sh!t instead of putting forth a valid argument for anything?


  66. Uncle Ho says:

    It’s a truly sorry day when more people know far more about American Idol(which I never watch) than the Supreme Court.

    BTW Wrongo. I seem to have misplaced my copy of Das Kapital, have you seen it?


  67. Robert Waldmann says:

    The part that worries me is that the President is one of that 70%.


  68. dr7854 says:

    None of this should surprise anyone, as it is very clear that Americans for the most part are ignorant about our constitution, and not very bright to boot! On the Supreme Court rulings being final, that is not 100% correct. First, the Supreme Court can choose to revisit a decision, if it is brought back to them in the future, and can change their prior decision. Also, in response to a Supreme Court ruling, Congress can make changes in the law that would make the courts decision no longer relevant. It is correct however, that their decisions can not be appealed.


  69. Spudge_Boy says:

    And in typical fashion Ringo leaves.


  70. Uncle Ho says:

    Spudge; maybe Wrong split to look for my missing copy of Das Kapital.


  71. had enough says:

    Corporate MSM is giving each other high fives… Keep the masses dumbed down and entertained while corporate America stacks the SC with corporate friendly judges.


  72. Theyre right says:

    I know a lot about politics and I cannot name the “Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court” ….since such a position does not exist.

    I can name the Chief Justice of the United States, though: John Roberts.

    Lastly, American Idol is a 3-judge panel of celebrities (of one sort or another) beamed into American households for hours every week. If you were to put Supreme Court arguments on Fox for hours every week and they were to critique the lawyers who appeared before them on camera, I think many more people would know the Justices.


  73. Prabhata says:

    I came to the US when I was 16 years old. Every time I discuss politics or history, I end up teaching US born citizens how the government works and why US workers gains from the FDR period have been lost due to their ignorance and apathy. An informed citizen is a troublemaker, and keeping its citizens ignorant and uninvolved is a way to keep power.


  74. Wayne A. Schneider says:

    Comment by Theyre right — September 13, 2007 @ 9:12 pm

    You are 100% correct about the job title. It is “of the United States,” not “of the U.S. Supreme Court” (or just “Supreme Court”). He or she is THE Chief Justice of the ENTIRE United States. Period. (Someone’s got to be at the top of every pyramid in America.)

    However, the point of the fact that very few people can name any or all of the Justices on the Court, is that they don’t take an active enough interest to learn these things. I mean, obviously, as one who pays attention to these things like you knows, these people change over time. The president isn’t the same person it was when you were in school, so you have to keep yourself up to date on these things in order to make an informed when it’s your turn to exercise your right to vote.

    And it would appear that not very many people are keeping themselves aware.


  75. jake says:

    who the the supreme court justice who publicly says 14yr old girls should be old enought to consent?


  76. JosephW says:

    Well, in fairness, the AmIdol judges are actually visible for about 20 – 22 weeks a year and there are ONLY 3 of them. The SC judges aren’t seen by very many people during their 30 or so weeks of activity and there are 3 times as many.
    As to the Court rulings being final, that depends on how one defines “final”. Every SC decision can be overturned by Congressional action AND every single SC decision can also be overturned by a later court’s decision. (For evidence of that, just witness the Roe decision and how “final” that one has been. It hasn’t been overturned yet, but remember how important it was in the last round of confirmation hearings.) In most cases, finality simply refers to the details of THAT particular case. The Kelo case finalized that single case, but led to other states changing their laws to (allegedly) strengthen property ownership rights. (I say “allegedly” because if enough state legislators have some incentive to walk over the rights of property owners, they’ll find a way to declare those new laws invalid or render them meaningless.)


  77. like it matters says:

    “a brand new car, a new refridgerator.
    take it right now pay for it later.
    that’s life in america”
    lydia murdoch


  78. like it matters says:

    “a brand new car,
    a new refrigerator.
    take it right now, pay for it later.”
    lydia murdoch.


  79. like it matters says:

    “that’s life in america.
    life in america.
    get what you can.
    get what you want.”
    lydia murdoch.


  80. mroome says:

    Clearly, SCOTUS needs it’s own prime time TV show on FOX.


  81. mroome says:

    oops, on 82 I shouldn’t have put an apostrophe in “its”.



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