[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 17, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9485-S9486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION

  Mr. BYRD. Madam President, today marks the 210th anniversary of the 
most successful political experiment in thousands of years of human 
history, because on this date in 1787, the United States Constitution 
was signed by a majority of delegates attending the Constitutional 
Convention in Philadelphia. This ingenious living document, 
thoughtfully crafted by our Founding Fathers more than two centuries 
ago, owes its enduring quality in great measure to one of its most 
basic, yet most ingenious and revolutionary ideas--namely, that the 
power and sovereignty of the United States Government ultimately rests 
in the hands of its citizens.
  An active and educated citizenry, is therefore an essential component 
of the constitutional machinery that keeps our Government in tune. A 
citizen of the United States not only has the right to hold opinions, 
but he has a duty to work through his elected officials in behalf of 
those opinions. If the Government is not being run effectively, 
efficiently, and constitutionally, citizens of the United States have a 
responsibility to work to correct that course through the exercise of 
their right to vote. It is not only a right, it is a privilege. In 
other words, the Government that stands over us is ours to endorse or 
to change.
  Unfortunately, however, a recent poll commissioned by the National 
Constitution Center, an organization established to better educate 
Americans about the Constitution, reveals that a shocking number of 
people in this country have virtually no knowledge of what is contained 
in this vital document, and, thus, have no clue about how it affects 
their everyday lives.
  In fact, according to the survey, only 5 percent of Americans could 
correctly answer 10 rudimentary questions about the Constitution. That 
is an embarrassingly low percentage. How can citizens be expected to 
meet their Constitutional responsibilities when they lack even basic 
knowledge about how our Government operates?
  While 84 percent of those polled felt that to work as intended, the 
U.S. Constitutional system depends on an active and informed citizenry, 
only 58 percent surveyed could name the three branches that comprise 
our Federal Government--only 58 percent. And, less than half knew how 
many Members make up the U.S. Senate.
  These are not difficult questions, but basic knowledge taught to 
schoolchildren at a young age when I was coming along, and should be 
taught today to schoolchildren at a very young age. Yet, only 66 
percent of those surveyed knew that the first ten amendments to the 
Constitution are called the Bill of Rights--only 66 percent. Some even 
responded that the first ten amendments to the Constitution are called 
the Pledge of Allegiance. Now, think of that.
  I wonder how many listening right now to my voice know how many 
amendments have been added to the Constitution since 1787. Only 19 
percent of those surveyed answered correctly. There have been 27 
amendments.
  The 27 amendments that have been added to the Constitution--which 
include the first 10 amendments, or the Bill of Rights--reflect the 
genius that our Founding Fathers demonstrated in the creation of the 
document, by equipping the document with the inherent flexibility to 
accommodate the changes of a growing nation. Such flexibility is 
intended to be part of a continuing process, which gives the 
Constitution life and relevance to the daily affairs of all Americans. 
A course of apathy, and an ignorance of our civic responsibilities and 
rights threatens to completely undermine the democratic principles on 
which our sacred Republic was founded--the very principles which 
Americans say they value so highly.
  If there is anything encouraging to come from the results of the 
National Constitution Center's poll, perhaps it is that 9 out of 10 
people surveyed said that they were proud of the U.S. Constitution. On 
this anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, I hope that 
more citizens will demonstrate that pride by taking it upon themselves 
to learn more about their Constitution and their Government, and teach 
their children, so that they can adequately perform the 
responsibilities which were conferred upon them in Philadelphia in 1787 
by some of the greatest minds in history.
  Our first Chief Justice John Marshall once stated ``The people make 
the Constitution, and the people can unmake it. It is the creature of 
their own will, and lives only by their will.'' If that will is 
motivated mostly by ignorance

[[Page S9486]]

and misinformation our hard won, sacred freedoms appear to be in grave, 
grave peril indeed.
  Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the dismal results of 
the National Constitution Center's poll be placed in the Record at this 
point.
  I thank Senators for listening and I yield the floor.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                How People Answered the Constitution Poll               
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                                        
How do Americans feel about the   Responses:                            
 Constitution?                                                          
    The U.S. Constitution is         91% agree.                         
     important to me                                                    
    I am proud of the U.S.           89% agree.                         
     Constitution                                                       
    The U.S. Constitution is         67% agree.                         
     used as a model by many                                            
     countries                                                          
    To work as intended, the         84% agree.                         
     U.S. Constitutional system                                         
     depends on active and                                              
     informed citizens                                                  
    The U.S. Constitution            72% disagree.                      
     doesn't impact events today                                        
    The Constitution doesn't         77% disagree.                      
     matter much in my daily                                            
     life                                                               
    To understand the                77% disagree.                      
     Constitution, you have to                                          
     be a lawyer                                                        
The question asked:               Percent of correct responses:         
    When was the Constitution        19%--1787.                         
     written?                                                           
    Where was the Constitution       61%--Philadelphia, PA.             
     written?                                                           
    What are the first ten           66%--the Bill of Rights.           
     amendments to the                                                  
     Constitution called?                                               
    Do you recall what the           55%--the Preamble.                 
     introduction of the                                                
     Constitution is called?                                            
    How many branches of the         58%--three.                        
     Federal Government are                                             
     there?                                                             
    How many Senators are there      48%--100.                          
     in the U.S. Congress?                                              
    How many years are there in      43%--6 years.                      
     a Senate term?                                                     
    How many voting members are      23%--435.                          
     there in the House of                                              
     Representatives?                                                   
    How many years are there in      45%--2 years.                      
     a Representative's term?                                           
    Who nominates the justices       70%--the president.                
     of the Supreme Court?                                              
    According to the                 69%--born in the US.               
     Constitution, a person must     51%--35 years of age.              
     meet certain requirements       8%--lived in the US 14 years.      
     in order to be eligible to                                         
     be elected President. Can                                          
     you name any of these                                              
     requirements?                                                      
    Can you recall any of the        64%--speech.                       
     rights guaranteed by the        41%--religion.                     
     first amendment?                33%--press.                        
                                     17%--assembly.                     
    Whose rights are guaranteed      88%--US Citizens.                  
     by the Constitution?                                               
    Approximately how long is        29%--1-5 pages.                    
     the U.S. Constitution?                                             
    Who is Commander-in Chief of     74%--the President.                
     the U.S. Armed Services?                                           
    Can you name the group or        7%--the Constitutional Convention. 
     any of the individuals who                                         
     were responsible for                                               
     drafting the U.S.                                                  
     Constitution?                                                      
    How many amendments are          19%--27 amendments.                
     there to the Constitution?                                         
    What are the names of the        51%--legislative.                  
     three branches of the           50%--executive.                    
     Federal government?             56%--judicial.                     
    True or False: The               15%--false.                        
     Constitution states that                                           
     all men are created equal                                          
    True or False: The U.S.          76%--true.                         
     Constitution can be                                                
     modified                                                           
    True or False: The               86%--true.                         
     Constitution is the supreme                                        
     law of the land                                                    
    True or False: The people        42%--false.                        
     can vote directly for                                              
     President                                                          
    True or False: When it was       69%--false.                        
     first written, the                                                 
     Constitution outlawed                                              
     slavery                                                            
    True or False: There are 10      48%--false.                        
     Supreme Court Justices                                             
    True or False: Congressional     72%--true.                         
     Representatives are elected                                        
     by the people                                                      
    True or False: The               75%--false.                        
     Constitution states that                                           
     Christianity is the                                                
     official religion of the                                           
     U.S                                                                
    True or False: The               58%--false.                        
     Constitution states that                                           
     the first language of the                                          
     U.S. is English.                                                   
    True or False: The text of       74% false.                         
     the Constitution                                                   
     specifically protects a                                            
     woman's right to have an                                           
     abortion                                                           
                                                                        

                                     

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