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November 15, 2009

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Editorial: Teens may benefit from history lesson

Friday, Sept. 11, 1998 | 9:50 a.m.

If a recent opinion poll is any indication, teenagers need a refresher course on our government's underpinnings. For example, 81 percent of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 know that the pop group Hanson is made up of three brothers, but just 21 percent know there are 100 members of the U.S. Senate. While 95 percent know that Will Smith played the Fresh Prince of Bel Air on television, only 2 percent know William Rehnquist is the Supreme Court chief justice. Just 41 percent could name the three branches of government, yet 59 percent could name the Three Stooges.

It's understandable that teenagers are more interested in pop culture than they are in subjects they view as dry, such as American history. But the sad fact is the results show too many students have a poor understanding of the Constitution, an ignorance that threatens our democracy.

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