About 35% of Americans cannot name all three branches of government, and fewer than 10% can name all five rights protected by the First Amendment, according to a new survey exposing glaring gaps in basic civics knowledge.
The annual Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey found that only 65% of U.S. adults could correctly identify the legislative, executive, and judicial branches — statistically unchanged from 70% in 2025 and 65% in 2024.
The survey was conducted August 6-9 among a national sample of 1,034 U.S. adults. The results arrive less than seven weeks before the midterm elections.
Americans showed even less familiarity with the five rights guaranteed by the First Amendment and enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. When asked to name the five protections, just 9% correctly identified all five, while nearly a quarter, 24%, could name none.
Freedom of speech was the most widely recognized, with 73% identifying it, notably down from 79% in 2025. Meanwhile, only 43% could name freedom of religion, 31% identified freedom of assembly, 29% named freedom of the press, and just 12% cited the right to petition the government, according to the University of Pennsylvania survey.
It appears some Americans simply have their amendments confused. A quarter of respondents, 25%, incorrectly identified the right to bear arms as a First Amendment protection. The right is protected by the Second Amendment.
“Ignorance is costly,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director emerita of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. “You can’t protect and cherish rights that you don’t know you have.”
There are some bright spots, however. Most Americans correctly understand how presidential vetoes and Supreme Court rulings work, according to the survey.
Some 83% know Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers. Another 69% correctly understand that a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling carries the force of law and must be followed.
In a July commentary for The Daily Wire, Manhattan Institute fellow Jennifer Weber called for a civic education revival to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, arguing that schools have failed to prepare the next generation to understand the Founding.
Federal testing data points in the same direction. On the most recent released National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) U.S. history results, from the 2022 exam, only 13% of eighth graders scored at or above proficient — the lowest rate of any subject tested — and 40% fell below the basic level. Average history scores have dropped in each round of testing since 2014. On the 2022 NAEP civics exam, 22% of eighth graders reached proficient and 31% scored below basic.
.png)
.png)
