Do you know what we're celebrating?

The United States is preparing to celebrate another birthday this Fourth of July, but according to new data from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), most college students are coming to the party with limited knowledge about the Declaration of Independence - the nation's founding document.

College seniors from across the nation achieved an average score of 61.75 percent, a failure on a traditional grading scale, on several questions covering the Declaration of Independence. The average freshman score was just slightly better (62.12 percent), but still failing.

The questions focusing on the Declaration of Independence were part of a 60-question multiple-choice test about our nation's history and institutions that was administered by the University of Connecticut's Department of Public Policy on behalf of ISI. Approximately 14,000 randomly selected seniors and freshmen on 50 campuses across the country were given the exam.

Overall, the scores were not encouraging. Freshmen from St. Thomas, Fla., (35.98 percent ) scored less than 40 percent on the questions covering the Declaration of Independence.

"The Declaration of Independence is considered to be the founding document of the United States of America, and it should be a focal point of all teachings about the nation's history and institutions," says Dr. Richard Brake, ISI's Director of University Stewardship. "Our nation's colleges and academic stakeholders need to be held accountable for this void in learning."

Other findings from the data include:

Only 45.95 percent of college seniors correctly identified the Declaration of Independence as the source for the phrase "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." More than 42 percent of students incorrectly identified the Preamble to the Constitution as the source for the phrase. And more than 3 percent of students surveyed said the phrase could be found in Marx and Engels' The Communist Manifesto.

More than 15 percent of students thought the Declaration of Independence relies most obviously on the political thought of Plato rather than John Locke. And 11 percent of students thought Thomas Paine argued for colonial independence from Britain in the Declaration of Independence rather than Common Sense.

Following are the specific questions that covered the Declaration of Independence. Hint: The correct answers are consistent for each question.

The line "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal . . ." is from:

a) The Federalist. b) the Preamble to the Constitution. c) The Communist Manifesto.

d) The Declaration of Independence.

e) An inscription on the Statue of Liberty.

The Declaration of Independence relies most obviously on the political thought of:

a) Plato. b) Niccolo Machiavelli. c) David Hume. d) John Locke. e) Georg Hegel.

Which of the following are the inalienable rights referred to in the Declaration of Independence?

a) life, liberty, and property. b) honor, liberty, and peace.

c) liberty, health, and community.

d) life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

e) life, respect, and equal protection.

In 1776, Thomas Paine argued for colonial independence from Britain in:

a) the Declaration of Independence. b) Novanglus.

c) A View of the Controversy between Great Britain and Her Colonies.

d) Common Sense. e) Letter from Birmingham Jail.

Which of the following are in correct chronological order?

a) The Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation.

d) Cuban Missile Crisis, Sputnik, Bay of Pigs.

c) Mexican-American War, Louisiana Purchase, Spanish-American War.

d) Fort Sumter, Gettysburg, Appomattox.

e) Prohibition, Boston Tea Party, Reconstruction.

The Federalist (or The Federalist Papers) was written to:

a) oppose ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

b) support America's independence from Britain.

c) oppose America's independence from Britain.

d) support ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

e) support the Missouri Compromise.

The full results of ISI's American civic literacy study and the complete survey questions can be found at www.americancivicliteracy. org, where you can also take the exam for yourself.

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) was founded in 1953 to further in successive generations of American college youth a better understanding of the economic, political, and ethical values that sustain a free and humane society. With ISI's volunteer representatives at over 900 colleges, and with more than 50,000 ISI student and faculty members on virtually every campus in the country, ISI directs tens of thousands of young people each year to a wide array of educational programs that deepen their understanding of the American ideal of ordered liberty.