Constitution Day Highlights U.S. Civics Knowledge Growth

Nearly half of Americans recognize that freedom of religion is guaranteed by the First Amendment, up from just 39 percent in 2024

As the nation celebrates Constitution Day on September 17, citizens overall are more knowledgeable this year in answering basic civics questions, according to the Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey. More than two-thirds of adults are able to name all three branches of government, which is significantly more than a year ago. When asked which rights the First Amendment guarantees, 79 percent can name freedom of speech, also an increase over 2024.

“People can’t cherish, safeguard or exercise their constitutionally protected rights unless they know that they have them and understand how effective use of them sustains our system of government,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. “Civics education at home and in schools should be a high priority as a result.”

The survey found an upsurge in awareness of most of the five First Amendment rights, with 40 percent able to name most of the rights, up from 30 percent in 2024. When respondents are asked if they can name the specific rights guaranteed by the First Amendment:

• Nearly four in five say freedom of speech, up significantly from 74 percent in 2024;
• Nearly half say freedom of religion, up from 39 percent in 2024;
• Thirty-six percent say right of assembly, up from 27 percent in 2024;
• One-third say freedom of the press, statistically unchanged; and
• Twelve percent say the right to petition, which is statistically unchanged.

From 2019 to March 2025, the percentage of U.S. adults holding at least a moderate amount of trust in the court dropped from 68 percent to 41 percent.

“Trust has fallen sharply and become polarized,” said Matt Levenujsky, a University of Pennsylvania political science professor. “Even after previous controversial decisions, like Bush v. Gore, trust in the court rebounded. But in the years since Dobbs, it has continued to erode.”

“Strengthening the citizenry’s knowledge of the U.S. Constitution remains paramount for the long-term health of the nation’s democracy,” said R. Lance Holbert, director of APPC’s Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics. “This year’s APPC Constitution Day Civics Survey points to some clear knowledge gains, but there is also evidence indicating that there is more work to be done,”

–Metro Voice