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Survey: Vast Majority of Kentuckians Would Fail U.S. Citizenship Test

U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security

Less than 30 percent of Kentucky adults would pass a test based on questions in the U.S. citizenship test.

In fact, a new survey shows a majority of adults in 49 states would fail the test.

The surveyconducted by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation asked 41,000 U.S. adults 20 history-specific questions taken from the citizenship exam practice tests.

Questions include naming the U.S. President during World War One (Woodrow Wilson), and naming three of the original states.

According to the survey findings, 71 percent of Kentucky adults would fail the citizenship test. Just one state—Vermont—had a majority of respondents receive passing grades.

Other findings from the survey: seven out of ten adults nationwide knew Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, while nearly four out of ten mistakingly thought Benjamin Franklin invented the light bulb.

Kevin is the News Director at WKU Public Radio. He has been with the station since 1999, and was previously the Assistant News Director, and also served as local host of Morning Edition.