As our nation approaches its 250th anniversary, a number of organizations are conducting surveys to gauge America’s civic literacy. The results, while not surprising, are alarming.

A survey by the American Bar Association — certainly no bastion of conservatism — found that 63% of Americans believe the general public is not informed about how our democracy works. But at the same time, more than a third (37%) said the public is primarily responsible for safeguarding our democracy. It’s hard to safeguard something if you don’t know how it works.

These various surveys help explain why former President Biden’s mantra that “we must save democracy” got so little traction: most people had no idea what he was talking about.

Similarly, a survey rolled out by the Chamber of Commerce revealed that 70% of Americans failed a basic civic literacy quiz. Commenting on the results, Hilary Crow, head of the Chamber Foundation’s The Civic Trust, said, “Without reversing these deficiencies in understanding how our government works, we are risking the long-term health of our civic culture and democracy itself.”

This deficiency is not accidental. You can’t uphold what you don’t understand, nor protect what you don’t know, which means our government can be transformed into something it was never intended to be. That is by the Left’s design. Case in point is the terminology used in these surveys themselves: America is not a pure democracy; we are a constitutional republic. There’s a huge difference.

I have a survey for you that comes from my newly-released God and Government online course:

Which of the following would most closely be associated with government?

1. The federal government in Washington D.C.
2. You and your family
3. Your church
4. All the above

What is the main objective of civil government?

1. Provide a financial safety net
2. Promote the economy
3. Collect taxes
4. Insure justice

An elected official should vote based upon:

1. His own desire
2. The latest poll
3. What his constituents want
4. None of the above

The term separation of Church and State is found in:

1. The Declaration of Independence
2. The Constitution of the United States
3. The Bible
4. None of the above

Do you know the answers? 

We need to know our true history. Our nation was founded upon biblical principles, latent in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. We must understand how our government was designed to work — and we must be involved in correcting our nation’s course — lest we lose our country and our freedoms.

Tony Perkins is the president of the Family Research Council and executive editor of The Washington Stand. He also served two terms as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, and served as Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.