Americans are more knowledgeable this year in answering basic civics questions, according to the Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey, conducted annually by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.
More than two-thirds of U.S. adults (70%) are able to name all three branches of government – the executive, judicial, and legislative – significantly more than a year ago (65%). When asked which rights the First Amendment guarantees, 79% can name "freedom of speech," an increase over 2024 (74%).
"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 APPC director Kathleen Hall Jamieson. "Civics education at home and in schools should be a high priority as a result."
Released for Constitution Day (Sept. 17th), the nationally representative survey also finds that trust in the U.S. Supreme Court continues to deteriorate, with nearly 6 in 10 people (59%) voicing little or no trust the nation's highest court is operating in their best interests.
Highlights
The 2025 Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey finds that:
- Over two-thirds of Americans (70%) can name all three branches of government.
- Asked what specific rights are guaranteed by the First Amendment, 79% say freedom of speech.
- Four in 10 U.S. adults (41%) have at least a moderate amount of trust the Supreme Court is operating in their best interests. There is a nearly 60-point gap between the parties – 75% of Republicans have at least a moderate amount of trust in the court but just 18% of Democrats do.
- There's bipartisan support for several potential Supreme Court reforms, with over 80% favoring prohibiting justices from participating in cases in which they have "personal or financial interests."
Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey
The nationally representative Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey , conducted for the Annenberg Public Policy Center by independent research company SSRS , draws on responses to Annenberg surveys of empaneled, nationally representative samples of U.S. adults during three periods. In March, respondents (n=1,363) were asked about attitudes toward the Supreme Court. In May-July, that same panel (n=1,334) was asked about proposed reforms to the court. In August, a different nationally representative panel (n=1,684) was asked about civics knowledge. All have a margin of sampling error of ± 3.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. For details, see the topline . See the full release online
