can't name their state's U.S. senators: 70

can't name their district's U.S. representative: 71

can't name the U.S. Supreme Court's chief justice: 89

couldn't name any current U.S. Supreme Court justice: 65

don't know who Harry Reid is: 85

don't know who Robert Gates is: 79

don't know the year in which America invaded Iraq: 62

favored (as of late 2007) the U.S. launching an unprovoked attack on Iran: 52

failed to name freedom of the press among First Amendment rights: 86

don't recognize "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" as being unalienable rights named in the Declaration of Independence: 71

thought the U.S. Constitution says (or weren't sure whether it says)
"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need": 69
judged Ronald Reagan to be a greater American than any of the following: Washington, Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Ben Franklin, FDR, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, Frederick Douglass, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Alexander Hamilton, Theodore Roosevelt, Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, or Mark Twain: 24

Believed (as of June 2007) "that Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq was directly involved in planning, financing, or carrying out the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001": 41

Believed (as of early 2006) that America's war on Iraq was "to retaliate for Saddam's role in the 9-11 attacks" (respondents were U.S. troops serving in Iraq): 85

agreed that God "probably" or "definitely" created human beings "pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years": 66

don't know that plastics are made from petroleum: 70

can't identify DNA as a key to heredity: over 67

think the Sun revolves around the Earth: about 20

say it's certain or probable that using a cordless phone in a bathtub poses an electrocution risk: 49

say it's certain or probable that antibiotics kill both bacteria and viruses: 48

(Geography)
can't find Iraq on a map: 63
can't find the United Kingdom on a map: 65
can't find Ohio on a map: 57

(Functional Literacy)
have read zero books -- of any kind -- in the previous year: 43
are unlikely to identify a main idea of an ordinary magazine article: 84
are unlikely to find and identify one given item on a simple chart: 64
are unlikely to solve a consumer arithmetic problem requiring the multiplication of "140.0 gallons of oil" by "five cents ($.05) per gallon": 48

Questionnaire done among US young adults (ages 18-24) -

Only 37% of young Americans can find Iraq on a map—though U.S. troops have been there since 2003.
6 in 10 young Americans don't speak a foreign language fluently.
20% of young Americans think Sudan is in Asia. (It's the largest country in Africa.)
48% of young Americans believe the majority population in India is Muslim. (It's Hindu—by a landslide.)
Half of young Americans can't find New York on a map.

Try the test here - http://www.nationalgeographic.com/roper2006/question_01.html

Economy.

Paul Krugman (finally got his Nobel prize)
The Conscience of a Liberal
The Great Unraveling: Losing Our Way in the New Century (Updated and Expanded)
The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008

Naomi Klein
'No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs'
'The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism'


Anti-Intellect.

'The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under 30)' by Mark Bauerlein
'Just How Stupid Are We?: Facing the Truth About the American Voter' by Rick Shenkman
'Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age' by Maggie Jackson
'The Age of American Unreason' by Susan Jacoby
'Anti-Intellectualism in American Life' by Richard Hofstadter

Bush administration, USA in early 2000s

'Takeover: The Return of the Imperial Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy' by Charlie Savage (Pulitzer)
'The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth in Bush's America' by Frank Rich
'Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War' by Michael Isikoff & David Corn
'The End of Iraq: How American Incompetence Created a War Without End' by Peter W. Galbraith
'The Rise and Rise of Richard B. Cheney' John Nichols
'Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency' by Lou Dubose

Glenn Greenwald
'A Tragic Legacy: How a Good vs. Evil Mentality Destroyed the Bush Presidency'
'Great American Hypocrites: Toppling the Big Myths of Republican Politics'
'How Would a Patriot Act? Defending American Values from a President Run Amok'

Found some more or less credible academic information

2006 Educational State Rankings
1. VERMONT 2. MASSACHUSETTS 3. CONNECTICUT 4. NEW JERSEY 5. MAINE
6. VIRGINIA 7. MONTANA 8. WISCONSIN 9. IOWA 10. PENNSYLVANIA
11. NEBRASKA 12. NEW HAMPSHIRE 13. MINNESOTA 14. RHODE ISLAND 15. KANSAS
16. NEW YORK 17. SOUTH DAKOTA 18. MARYLAND 19. WYOMING 20. IDAHO
21. NORTH DAKOTA 22. MISSOURI 23. NORTH CAROLINA 24. INDIANA 25. TEXAS
26. SOUTH CAROLINA 27. COLORADO 28. DELAWARE 29. FLORIDA 30. TENNESSEE
31. KENTUCKY 32. ARKANSAS 33. WASHINGTON 34. OHIO 35. ILLINOIS
36. OKLAHOMA 37. WEST VIRGINIA 38. UTAH 39. MICHIGAN 40. OREGON
41. GEORGIA 42. HAWAII 43. NEW MEXICO 44. LOUISIANA 45. ALABAMA
46. ALASKA 47. CALIFORNIA 48. MISSISSIPPI 49. NEVADA 50. ARIZONA

McDaniel's Estimated Average IQ Score by State
1. MASSACHUSETTS......104.3
2. NEW HAMPSHIRE........104.2
3. NORTH DAKOTA...........103.8
4. VERMONT......................103.8
5. MINNESOTA...................103.7
6. MONTANA......................103.4
7. MAINE.............................103.4
8. IOWA..............................103.2
9. CONNECTICUT.............103.1
10. WISCONSIN................102.9
11. KANSAS......................102.8
12. SOUTH DAKOTA.......102.8
13. NEW JERSEY...... .....102.8
14. WYOMING...................102.4
15. NEBRASKA...............102.3
16. WASHINGTON............101.9
17. VIRGINIA.....................101.9
18. OHIO...........................101.8
19. INDIANA.....................101.7
20. COLORADO..............101.6
21. PENNSYLVANIA......101.5
22. IDAHO........................101.4
23. OREGON...................101.2
24. UTAH...........................101.1
25. MISSOURI..................101.0
26. NEW YORK................100.7
27. MICHIGAN...................100.5
28. DELAWARE...............100.4
29. NORTH CAROLINA....100.2
30. TEXAS..........................100.0
31. ILLINOIS...........................99.9
32. MARYLAND.....................99.7
33. RHODE ISLAND..............99.5
34. KENTUCKY......................99.4
35. OKLAHOMA......................99.3
36. ALASKA.............................99.0
37. WEST VIRGINIA.................98.7
38. SOUTH CAROLINA...........98.4
39. FLORIDA.............................98.4
40. GEORGIA............................98.0
41. TENNESSEE......................97.7
42. ARKANSAS.......................97.5
43. ARIZONA.............................97.4
44. NEVADA.............................96.5
45. ALABAMA............................95.7
46. NEW MEXICO......................95.7
47. HAWAII..................................95.6
48. CALIFORNIA........................95.5
49. LOUISIANA...........................95.3
50. MISSISSIPPI........................94.2

This thaw -- took a while to thaw, it's going to take a while to unthaw." --George W. Bush, on liquidity in the markets, Alexandria, La., Oct. 20, 2008

"We're fixing to go down to Galveston and obviously are going to see a devastated part of this fantastic state." --George W. Bush, Houston, Sept. 16, 2008

"The people in Louisiana must know that all across our country there's a lot of prayer -- prayer for those whose lives have been turned upside down. And I'm one of them." --George W. Bush, Baton Rouge, La., Sept. 3, 2008

"First of all, I don't see America having problems." --George W. Bush, interview with Bob Costas at the 2008 Olympics, Beijing, China, Aug. 10, 2008

"I'm coming as the president of a friend, and I'm coming as a sportsman." --George W. Bush, on his trip to the Olympics in China, Washington, D.C., July 30, 2008

"There's no question about it. Wall Street got drunk -- that's one of the reasons I asked you to turn off the TV cameras -- it got drunk and now it's got a hangover. The question is how long will it sober up and not try to do all these fancy financial instruments." --George W. Bush, speaking at a private fundraiser, Houston, Texas, July 18, 2008

"I think it was in the Rose Garden where I issued this brilliant statement: If I had a magic wand -- but the president doesn't have a magic wand. You just can't say, 'low gas.'" --George W. Bush, Washington D.C., July 15, 2008

"And they have no disregard for human life." --George W. Bush, on the brutality of Afghan fighters, Washington, D.C., July 15, 2008

"The economy is growing, productivity is high, trade is up, people are working. It's not as good as we'd like, but -- and to the extent that we find weakness, we'll move." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., July 15, 2008

"Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter." --George W. Bush, in parting words to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy at his final G-8 Summit, punching the air and grinning widely as the two leaders looked on in shock, Rusutsu, Japan, July 10, 2008

"Amigo! Amigo!" --George W. Bush, calling out to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Spanish at the G-8 Summit, Rusutsu, Japan, July 10, 2008

"Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have helped transform 13 small colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300 people." --George W. Bush, Charlottesville, Va., July 4, 2008

"Should the Iranian regime-do they have the sovereign right to have civilian nuclear power? So, like, if I were you, that's what I'd ask me. And the answer is, yes, they do." --George W. Bush, talking to reporters in Washington, D.C., July 2, 2008

"But oftentimes I'm asked: Why? Why do you care what happens outside of America?" --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 26,2008

"I remember meeting a mother of a child who was abducted by the North Koreans right here in the Oval Office." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 26, 2008

"I want to tell you how proud I am to be the President of a nation that -- in which there's a lot of Philippine-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the -- of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House." --George W. Bush, referring to White House chef Cristeta Comerford while meeting with Filipino President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Washington, D.C., June 24, 2008 (Watch video clip)

"And I, unfortunately, have been to too many disasters as president." --George W. Bush, discussing flooding in the Midwest, Washington, D.C., June 17, 2008

"There is some who say that perhaps freedom is not universal. Maybe it's only Western people that can self-govern. Maybe it's only, you know, white-guy Methodists who are capable of self-government. I reject that notion." --George W. Bush, London, June 16, 2008

"Your eminence, you're looking good." --George W. Bush to Pope Benedict XVI, using the title for Catholic cardinals, rather than addressing him as "your holiness," Rome, June 13, 2008

"The German asparagus are fabulous." --George W. Bush, Meseberg, Germany, June 11, 2008

"We've got a lot of relations with countries in our neighborhood." --George W. Bush, Kranj, Slovenia, June 10, 2008

"One of the things important about history is to remember the true history." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 6, 2008

"There's no question this is a major human disaster that requires a strong response from the Chinese government, which is what they're providing, but it also responds a compassionate response from nations to whom -- that have got the blessings, good blessings of life, and that's us." --George W. Bush, on relief efforts after a Chinese earthquake, Washington, D.C., June 6, 2008

"Let's make sure that there is certainty during uncertain times in our economy." -- George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 2, 2008

"We got plenty of money in Washington. What we need is more priority." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 2, 2008

"And so the fact that they purchased the machine meant somebody had to make the machine. And when somebody makes a machine, it means there's jobs at the machine-making place." --George W. Bush, Mesa, Arizona, May 27, 2008

"I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf. I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 13, 2008

"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008

"How can you possibly have an international agreement that's effective unless countries like China and India are not full participants?" --George W. Bush, Camp David, April 19, 2008

"Oftentimes people ask me, 'Why is it that you're so focused on helping the hungry and diseased in strange parts of the world?'" --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 18, 2008

"We want people owning their home -- we want people owning a businesses." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 18, 2008

"So long as I'm the president, my measure of success is victory -- and success." --George W. Bush, on Iraq, Washington, D.C., April 17, 2008

"Thank you, your Holiness. Awesome speech." --George W. Bush, to Pope Benedict, Washington, D.C., April 15, 2008

"A lot of times in politics you have people look you in the eye and tell you what's not on their mind." --George W. Bush, Sochi, Russia, April 6, 2008

"Afghanistan is the most daring and ambition mission in the history of NATO." --George W. Bush, Bucharest, Romania, April 2, 2008

"Soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, and Coastmen -- Coast Guardmen, thanks for coming, thanks for wearing the uniform." --George W. Bush, at the Pentagon, March 19, 2008

"I thank the diplomatic corps, who is here as well." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., March 12, 2008

"Removing Saddam Hussein was the right decision early in my presidency, it is the right decision now, and it will be the right decision ever." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., March 12, 2008

"Let me start off by saying that in 2000 I said, 'Vote for me. I'm an agent of change.' In 2004, I said, 'I'm not interested in change --I want to continue as president.' Every candidate has got to say 'change.' That's what the American people expect." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., March 5, 2008

"And so, General, I want to thank you for your service. And I appreciate the fact that you really snatched defeat out of the jaws of those who are trying to defeat us in Iraq." --George W. Bush, to Army Gen. Ray Odierno, Washington, D.C., March 3, 2008

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? ... That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Feb. 28, 2008

"I'm oftentimes asked, What difference does it make to America if people are dying of malaria in a place like Ghana? It means a lot. It means a lot morally, it means a lot from a -- it's in our national interest." --George W. Bush, Accra, Ghana, Feb. 20, 2008

"There is no doubt in my mind when history was written, the final page will say: Victory was achieved by the United States of America for the good of the world." --George W. Bush, addressing U.S. troops at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, Jan. 12, 2008

"I can press when there needs to be pressed; I can hold hands when there needs to be -- hold hands." --George W. Bush, on how he can contribute to the Middle East peace process, Washington, D.C., Jan. 4, 2008

10) Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream." —LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000

9) "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family." —Greater Nashua, N.H., Jan. 27, 2000

8) "I hear there's rumors on the Internets that we're going to have a draft." —second presidential debate, St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 8, 2004

7) "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." —Saginaw, Mich., Sept. 29, 2000

6) "You work three jobs? … Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that." —to a divorced mother of three, Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 4, 2005

5) "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." —Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004

4) "They misunderestimated me." —Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000

3) "Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?" —Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000

2) "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." —Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

1) "There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002

70% of American adults do not understand the scientific process;
Double digit percentage gains in belief of haunted houses, ghosts, communication with the dead, and witches in the past decade;
U.S. depends heavily on foreign born scientists at all degree levels, as high as 45% in engineering;
Belief in pseudoscience is relatively widespread and growing;
60% believe some people posses psychic powers or extrasensory perception (ESP);
30% believe some reported objects in the sky are really space vehicles from other civilizations;
30% read astrology charts at least occasionally in the newspaper;
46% did not know how long it takes the Earth to orbit the sun (1 year);
45% thought lasers work by focusing sound waves (they focus light);
49% believe antibiotics kill viruses (they kill bacteria);
66% don't believe the Big Bang theory widely accepted by scientists;
48% believe humans lived at the same time as the dinosaurs;
47% don't believe in evolution which is widely accepted by scientists;
55% couldn't define DNA;
78% couldn't define a molecule;
32% believe in 'Lucky Numbers'.

Other studies completed by Gallup & People for the American Way Foundation found similar results:

68% want creationism taught along with evolution in schools;
45% want ONLY creationism taught, not evolution;
70% believe evolution is compatible with God and the Bible;
42% believe houses can be haunted;
38% believe in ghosts or spirits of dead people;
28% believe people can communicate with the dead;
28% believe in astrology.