Civic Literacy Statistics 2026: 92 Sourced Numbers on What Americans Know
July 25, 2026 · Christopher J. Bradley
Last updated July 2026. Every statistic on this page links to its original source. Where a survey is conducted annually, the most recent published reading is used.
The short answer
About 70% of American adults can name all three branches of government — the highest reading the Annenberg Public Policy Center has recorded, up from 65% in 2024 and 32% in 2018. Roughly 9% can name all five First Amendment freedoms. 154 million Americans voted in 2024, a turnout rate of 65.3%. 17% say they trust the federal government to do what is right most of the time, while 61% view their local government favorably.
Civic knowledge in the United States is measurably improving. Trust in national institutions is not. Those two facts together describe the American civic moment better than either does alone.
Below are 92 statistics covering what Americans know, how they participate, what they trust, and how civics is taught — organized by question, with sources.
Key findings
- Civic knowledge is rising, not falling. The three-branches figure gained 5 points in a single year and 38 points since 2018.
- Religious-liberty recall posted the largest single-year gain of any First Amendment right, moving from 39% to 48% between 2024 and 2025.
- Local beats national on nearly every trust measure. 69% of voters say their own community administered the 2024 election very well; 43% say the same of the country as a whole.
- Volunteering had its largest recorded expansion. 75.7 million Americans volunteered formally in 2023, a 22% growth rate.
- Civics instruction is expanding while reading scores decline. 36 states plus D.C. now require high school civics, but 33% of eighth graders read below NAEP's Basic level — the highest share on record.
How many Americans can name the three branches of government?
70% of U.S. adults could name all three branches in 2025. That figure was 65% in 2024 and 32% in 2018.
Breaking down the remaining 31%:
| Response | Share of adults (2025) |
|---|---|
| Named all three branches | 70% |
| Named two branches | 12% |
| Named one branch | 6% |
| Could not name any branch | 13% |
Source: Annenberg Public Policy Center, Constitution Day Civics Survey, September 2025
Methodology note: Annenberg moved from telephone to online panel surveying in 2023. Readings from 2023 forward are directly comparable to one another. Comparisons to the 2018 figure are directional rather than strict.
How many Americans know their First Amendment rights?
About 9% of U.S. adults can name all five First Amendment freedoms. That is up from 7% in 2024. 18% cannot name a single one.
Recall by individual right:
| First Amendment right | 2025 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of speech | 79% | 74% | +5 |
| Freedom of religion | 48% | 39% | +9 |
| Right of assembly | 36% | 27% | +9 |
| Freedom of the press | 34% | 34% | — |
| Right to petition | 12% | 12% | — |
A common misconception: 21% of Americans believe the First Amendment protects the right to bear arms. That right appears in the Second Amendment.
Source: Annenberg Public Policy Center, 2025
What do Americans know about the Supreme Court?
Structural knowledge of the federal judiciary is strong. Knowledge of its authority is weaker.
- 86% correctly know that Supreme Court justices are appointed rather than elected
- 85% know justices serve life terms
- 56% correctly identify the Supreme Court as having final say on whether a presidential action is constitutional
- 23% incorrectly name Congress; 5% incorrectly name the president
Trust has moved sharply in the other direction. 41% of U.S. adults reported at least a moderate amount of trust that the Supreme Court operates in their best interests in March 2025, down from 68% in 2019 — a 27-point decline.
Support for specific reforms crosses party lines:
| Proposed reform | Support |
|---|---|
| Recusal where a justice has a personal or financial interest | 82% |
| A formal ethics code | 77% |
| Mandatory retirement age | 69% |
| Term limits | 68% |
Sources: Annenberg Public Policy Center, 2024 and 2025
How many Americans voted in 2024?
154 million Americans voted in the November 2024 presidential election — 65.3% of the citizen voting-age population, and the second-highest presidential turnout rate in a century. 174 million were registered, or 73.6% of eligible citizens.
How Americans cast ballots in 2024:
| Method | Share |
|---|---|
| In person on Election Day | 39.6% |
| In person, early | 30.7% |
| By mail | 29.0% |
Turnout by education:
| Attainment | Turnout |
|---|---|
| High school graduate | 52.5% |
| Advanced degree | 82.5% |
Turnout by race and ethnicity:
| Group | Turnout |
|---|---|
| White | 67.5% |
| Black | 58.5% |
| Hispanic | 51.7% |
| Asian | 51.4% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Voting and Registration Supplement, April 2025
How many young Americans vote?
47% of Americans ages 18–29 voted in 2024 — below the 50% high recorded in 2020, but well above 39% in 2016. Among the youngest cohort, 18- and 19-year-olds turned out at 41%.
Participation varies widely within the youth bracket, ranging from 58% among young white women to 25% among young Black men.
Source: CIRCLE at Tufts University, April 2025
Note on youth turnout figures: CIRCLE publishes an initial post-election estimate based on exit polling, then revises upward months later when voter file data becomes available. The initial 2024 estimate was 42%; the revised figure is 47%. Cite the revision.
How much do Americans trust government?
17% of Americans say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right just about always or most of the time — near the lowest level recorded across roughly seventy years of polling.
The picture inverts at the local level:
| Level of government | Favorable view |
|---|---|
| Federal | 22% |
| Local | 61% |
That 39-point gap is the single most consistent finding in American civic opinion research.
It holds for election administration as well. 69% of voters said elections in their own community were administered very well in 2024. 43% said the same about elections nationally.
Sources: Pew Research Center, Public Trust in Government 1958–2025; Pew, April 2024; Pew, February 2025
Caveat: federal trust readings move with which party holds the White House. The 17% figure reflects a period in which neither party's supporters expressed strong confidence. Treat it as a floor observation rather than a stable baseline.
Is civics required in American schools?
36 states and the District of Columbia require civics coursework to graduate from high school. Five states require it in middle school.
Federal funding has grown quickly from a small base:
| Fiscal year | K–12 civics funding |
|---|---|
| FY2022 | $7.75 million |
| FY2023 | $23 million |
| FY2024 | $23 million |
That still amounts to less than $0.50 per student, compared with roughly $50 per student for STEM education.
Instruction remains uneven. 49% of NAEP-tested eighth graders said they had a class mainly focused on civics. Fewer than a third said they had a teacher whose primary responsibility was teaching it.
Sources: CivxNow 2025 State Policy Scan; CivxNow fiscal analysis
What do test scores show about civic knowledge?
In 2022, the average eighth-grade NAEP civics score fell 2 points from 2018 — the first statistically significant decline since the assessment began in 1998. NAEP administers civics roughly every four years; 2022 remains the most recent reading.
Underlying literacy has weakened further:
- 33% of eighth graders performed below NAEP Basic in reading in 2024 — the highest share in the assessment's history
- 22% of high school seniors were proficient in math and 35% in reading in 2024, the lowest in more than two decades
Among young adults, 18- to 24-year-olds answered an average of 1.6 out of 4 standard civics questions correctly in 2023. Only 4% answered all four correctly.
Civic knowledge predicts civic behavior. 80% of young adults scoring high on civic knowledge planned to engage in at least one civic activity, compared with 64% of low scorers.
Sources: NAEP/NCES; Institute for Citizens & Scholars, 2023
How many Americans volunteer?
75.7 million Americans — 28.3% of adults — formally volunteered through an organization between September 2022 and September 2023. They contributed 4.99 billion hours of service, valued at $167.2 billion. The 22% growth rate was the largest expansion the Census Bureau and AmeriCorps have recorded.
Informal participation runs higher still:
| Form of participation | Share of adults | People |
|---|---|---|
| Helped neighbors informally | 54% | 137.5 million |
| Volunteered through an organization | 28.3% | 75.7 million |
| Belong to a civic organization or club | 25% | 62.9 million |
Informal neighbor-helping rose from 51.7% in 2019.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau & AmeriCorps, Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement, November 2024
Note: the CEV runs every two years. The 2023 wave is the most recent published.
What is happening to local news?
85% of U.S. adults say local news outlets are at least somewhat important to the well-being of their local community. Only 25% of those who follow local political news are extremely or very satisfied with the quality of that coverage.
Attention has fallen sharply:
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Follow local news very closely (2025) | 21% |
| Follow local news very closely (2016) | 37% |
| Trust local news organizations at least somewhat | 70% |
| Trust national news organizations at least somewhat | 56% |
| Feel at least somewhat attached to their local community | 65% |
| Americans living in news deserts | ~50 million |
Where people get news has shifted almost entirely to screens. 86% of U.S. adults get news from a smartphone, computer, or tablet at least sometimes, including 56% who do so often. 7% often get news from printed newspapers or magazines.
Sources: Pew Local News Fact Sheet, 2025; Pew, May 2024; Pew News Platform Fact Sheet, 2025; Medill Local News Initiative, 2025
How secure are American elections?
98% of votes cast in the 2024 election had a paper record. Nearly all states conduct routine post-election audits.
Election administration is under strain at the local level:
- 38% of local election officials reported experiencing threats, harassment, or abuse for doing their jobs
- 92% have taken steps to increase election security since 2020
- 87% say state and local government should provide additional resources to offset federal cuts to election security
- 60% are very or somewhat concerned about those federal cuts
Sources: Brennan Center for Justice, Accuracy of Election Results; Brennan Center Local Election Officials Surveys, 2024 and 2025
What do the numbers say about crime and the courts?
National violent crime fell 4.5% and property crime fell 8.1% from 2023 to 2024. The violent crime rate of 359.1 per 100,000 was the lowest in approximately twenty years. Reported hate crime incidents declined 1.5%, from 11,041 to 10,873.
In the federal courts, grand juries indicted just under 50,000 people in fiscal year 2024 — the lowest figure in nearly thirty years. Federal courts disposed of roughly 67,000 criminal defendant filings in the year ending March 31, 2024, with 88% of immigration cases concentrated in five southwestern districts.
Jury trials have become uncommon. Federal jury trials account for roughly 0.8% of civil case dispositions and 3.6% of criminal dispositions, down from 5.5% and 8.2% in 1962.
Sources: FBI, Reported Crimes in the Nation, 2024; Pew analysis of Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts data, 2026; Federal Judicial Caseload Statistics 2024; American Bar Association Commission on the American Jury
What does American household and economic life look like?
64% of U.S. households were family households in 2024, down from 79% in 1974. 74% of family households were married-couple households.
| Household measure | 2024 | 1974 |
|---|---|---|
| Family households | 64% | 79% |
| Families with children under 18 | 39% | 54% |
| One-person households | 29% | 19% |
| Median age at first marriage (men) | 30.2 | 23.1 |
| Median age at first marriage (women) | 28.6 | 21.1 |
57% of adults ages 18–24 lived in a parent's home in 2024. The U.S. women's refined marriage rate rose for a fifth consecutive year, from 49.0 to 51.7 marriages per 1,000 unmarried women.
65.1% of American households own their home, ranging from 38.6% among householders under 35 to 79.0% among those 65 and older.
Small businesses account for 99.9% of U.S. firms — 5.36 million employer firms with fewer than 500 employees, plus 28.5 million nonemployer businesses. Small businesses contributed 55% of total net job creation from 2013 to 2023.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements, November 2024; Census Housing Vacancies and Homeownership; Census Small Business Week 2024; Bureau of Labor Statistics, April 2024; National Center for Family & Marriage Research, BGSU
How do Americans feel about the country?
58% of Americans say they are extremely or very proud to be American — the lowest level recorded since measurement began in 2001. Among Generation Z the figure is 41%, the lowest of any generation.
72% of Americans say the United States used to be a good example of democracy for other countries but is not anymore. Abroad, across 34 countries surveyed, a median of 40% say the U.S. was once a good example worth following.
On religion, 62% of U.S. adults identify as Christian and 29% are religiously unaffiliated. 31% say religion's influence on public life is increasing — up 13 points from 18% in 2024 and the highest reading in fifteen years.
Sources: Gallup, July 2025; Pew, July 2024; Pew Religious Landscape Study, February 2025
A note on political violence
85% of Americans say political violence in the United States is increasing. Research on actual support for political violence finds fewer than 4% of Americans express support for it.
The gap between perceived prevalence and measured support is itself one of the more important findings in recent civic research.
Sources: Pew Research Center, October 2025; Polarization Research Lab, 2024
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of Americans can name all three branches of government?
70% of U.S. adults could name all three branches — legislative, executive, and judicial — in the Annenberg Public Policy Center's September 2025 Constitution Day Civics Survey. That is up from 65% in 2024 and 32% in 2018.
How many Americans can name all five First Amendment freedoms?
About 9% of U.S. adults can name all five: speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition. Freedom of speech is the most recognized at 79%; the right to petition is the least recognized at 12%.
What was voter turnout in the 2024 presidential election?
154 million Americans voted, representing 65.3% of the citizen voting-age population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It was the second-highest presidential turnout rate in a century, behind 2020.
Do Americans trust local government more than federal government?
Yes, by a wide margin. 61% of Americans view their local government favorably compared with 22% for the federal government. The pattern holds across election administration, news media, and general institutional confidence.
Is civics education required in U.S. schools?
36 states and the District of Columbia require civics coursework for high school graduation. Five states require civics in middle school. Federal K–12 civics funding is $23 million annually, or under $0.50 per student.
Are civic knowledge levels in America improving or declining?
Both, depending on the measure. Adult civic knowledge as measured by Annenberg has improved substantially since 2018. Eighth-grade NAEP civics scores declined in 2022, and eighth-grade reading scores reached their lowest recorded level in 2024.
Where does this data come from?
Every statistic on this page comes from the Annenberg Public Policy Center, Pew Research Center, the U.S. Census Bureau, NAEP/NCES, the FBI, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, CIRCLE at Tufts University, the Brennan Center for Justice, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CivxNow, the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, or Gallup. Each figure links to its original source.
Methodology and limitations
Source standard. Statistics are drawn from federal statistical agencies, established academic survey programs, and nonpartisan research organizations. Aggregator sites are not used as sources.
Recency. All figures are from 2023 through 2026, using the most recent published reading. Where a survey runs on a multi-year cycle, the cycle is noted.
Known measurement issues:
- Annenberg mode change. The transition from telephone to online panel surveying in 2023 means pre-2023 comparisons are directional.
- NAEP civics frequency. Administered roughly every four years. The 2022 reading is current until the next administration.
- CIRCLE revisions. Youth turnout estimates are revised upward when voter file data replaces exit polling, typically four to six months post-election.
- Census CEV frequency. Conducted biennially. The 2023 wave is the most recent published.
- Partisan sensitivity. Federal trust and Supreme Court confidence readings vary substantially by respondent party identification. Headline figures are reported here; crosstabs are available in the linked source reports.
Known data gaps. No large-sample national measurement currently exists for several areas of civic knowledge, including property rights literacy, federalism comprehension (which level of government holds which powers), jury service understanding among adults who have never been summoned, and the share of Americans who have read the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence in full.
About this page
Compiled by Christopher J. Bradley, founder of Liberty's Principles Media. Christopher practiced law for fourteen years and holds a J.D. and a Master's degree in intellectual property law. He served in the U.S. military beginning at age seventeen.
This page is maintained as a public reference and updated as new data is published. The Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey releases each September; this page will be updated when the 2026 reading is available.
Common Sense Quarterly does not endorse candidates, parties, or legislation. Our purpose is to promote constitutional literacy and civic engagement across all communities.
Corrections: if you find an error or a superseded figure, please contact us. Sources and dates are listed for every statistic so that any claim on this page can be independently verified.
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