Less Than Half The Nation Knows That GOP Took Back The House: Pew Poll

While the GOP's blowout win in the midterm elections sent shock waves through the political world, the general public is apparently having a difficult time remembering that it even happened.

According to a new Pew poll, less than half the nation is aware that Republicans won back control of the House of Representatives, although 75 percent correctly identified the GOP as outperforming the Democrats in the midterms.

The finding is part of a Pew poll that tested Americans' current events knowledge. Check out CNN's breakdown for more findings.

Comments

[CanisLatrans]

04:13 PM on 11/22/2010

The mind-boggling, stunning, self-defeating stupidity of the average American voter reaffirms to me that my decision not to have children was, indeed, the right one.

[BarryWolk]

05:29 PM on 12/03/2010

I am on your team as of right now, CanisLatrans!! I am completely astonished how ignorant we actually are as a country!

Did you know that 20% of ALL Americans believe that the Sun revolves around the Earth?!?!

WTF?!?

[Discomustachio]

03:29 PM on 11/22/2010

These are the same people that could probably recite, verbaitm, the last episode of Jersey Shore....

[markie G]

07:16 AM on 11/22/2010

....you know, the half that actually caused that electoral disaster to happen......

[cascot]

04:02 PM on 11/21/2010

I believe what is TRULY lacking is the teaching of our American history throughout grades K-12. We have a very inspiring early history which tells WHy our form of government is so unique and special. It is a history full of tremendous self-sacrifice and corage--virtues to emulate. But, today it isn't PC. In fact, it hasn't been PC for a long time and the MINDLESS Social Studies has taken it's place. Social Studies was a GRAND EXPERIMENT that had no analysis of where it was worth it or not. Someone(s) just decided it would be so... Until kids KNOW what the legacy is that they are to carry on, it WON'T BE CARRIED ON!! The "NEW" education (not so new) has definitely SCR*WED the American public. You doubt?? Watch Jay Leno when he goes out on the street and asks questions about our government and politics...

[ChiGuy]

11:59 AM on 11/21/2010

It comes as no surprise that people who voted based on the idiotic "anyone except the one in office" premise would be so woefully uninformed. They may as well have tossed a dart at a couple of names in order to choose for whom they would cast their ballot.

[Rooster Coburn]

09:47 PM on 11/21/2010

Instead of saying "Republicans won" or "GOP won" why not just say "America won!"

[BMcCue7]

06:35 AM on 11/22/2010

You seem to imply that all Americans are Republicans for some reason. Why?

[Souris9]

10:04 AM on 11/22/2010

Because that would be a blatant lie.

[Bergen2]

11:58 AM on 11/21/2010

This is a huge problem since democracy depends on an educated, informed and engaged citizenry. Almost all people are capable of educating themselves, so it seems that it is a problem more of apathy than anything else. Aristotle said, "Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society." Not sure what the answer is, and a solution is no doubt complex, but something has to be done to stem the tide.

[sandals]

11:39 AM on 11/21/2010

Some are political junkies, so they would have the knowledge of who won.
Most Americans on a day to day basis only focus on the now.
So the poll doesn't surprise me.

[duhtruth]

11:26 AM on 11/21/2010

I would like to see a poll of how many Americans give a rat's behind.

[AveragePatriot]

11:11 AM on 11/21/2010

This just highlights the fact that most people don't care and go on living their lives regardless of how other control everything. Since the country is run by lobbyists and those with more money than they know what to do with, I wonder myself if the statement 'Ignorance is bliss!' might not be the right thing for me.

There are a LOT of things I didn't know when I was younger that I wish I didn't know now...

[UltraClassicII]

10:54 AM on 11/21/2010

Those Americans must be all those democrats who did not vote.

[tjpw0850]

11:30 AM on 11/21/2010

...they will in 2012.

[david1967]

10:37 AM on 11/21/2010

Be honest people...Arent many of you making these remarks to simply inflate your egos and feel superior to others

[CanisLatrans]

04:17 PM on 11/22/2010

No, actually, I think it is sad that such a promising nation with every advantage at its fingertips did so much to shortchange itself because a few people found a way to secure power and profit for themselves at the cost of pounding people's minds into apatetic masses of pop-culture paste.

[KennyFox]

10:25 AM on 11/21/2010

Most Americans are apolitical. Its called "the center" -- a surefire place to get nothing done, ever. The Center is different from compromise. Compromise is when youare playing on the same team and the wide receiver on the left says give ME the ball and the running back says no give it to ME, but the coach and the QB and the offenseive coordinator believe the WR on the right should get it because he is not as hot a target as the other players and has had great practice games all week. So we go to that guy, and the running back is upset cuz he wont get his 100 yards and the other wide receiver's upset because he thinks he is the entire team, but he gets over it becuase he compromises. The Center is when you are playing the same game but instead of even TRYING to move the ball to the 40 and 30 yard lines, you are just as happy throwing the ball sideways and running and then falling on purpose before you get 10 yards down the field. Thats the Center. A losing man's way to play the game. Its also apolitical, and thats where most "middle Americans" live. I know that I can say my parents (in their 60s) are the "center". My mother doesnt know who the VP is, let alone the Sec of State.

[BMcCue7]

10:23 AM on 11/21/2010

I wonder what percentage of the nation would ask, "The House of what?"

(And so many of us who do keep ourselves informed say "The American People want this," or "The American People say that." Maybe we're fooling ourselves a little bit.)

Many of the people who don't want to pay any attention believe in the false equivalency, saying "Who cares? Both parties are the same."

It's a self-serving attitude. If both parties are the same, then it's a waste of time to try to follow politics at all. Kinda lets you off the hook if you don't want to keep up.

[Eagleman]

10:20 AM on 11/21/2010

May the survey took place in California where most of the population is high on smoking Pot. We can expect them to know what's happening.

[BarryWolk]

05:33 PM on 12/03/2010

'May the survey'? What does that mean? Are you smoking pot again, Eagleman?

[InsideBrooklyn]

10:17 AM on 11/21/2010

It's not odd since the two parties are rather similar.