Reading the Constitution

[theinevitable]

So there was just this NPR story about how people these days don't read the Constitution. They did a big survey of around 1000 Americans, and found that they had a pretty good grasp of the content (they could answer questions about who has certain powers, whether certain concepts were in the constitution or not, etc) but that only 30% or so said they had read the Constitution since finishing school.

-Should we care?
-Do that many Americans really go to finishing school?


But actually, I find it really hard to care about the statement "most Americans know the content of the Constitution, but have not read it recently."
It isn't a piece of literature. I do not think reading the actual text gives you some sort of knowledge you wouldn't otherwise have, unless you are a specialist in word usage in the late 18th century.

My old roommate would surely argue with me about this, but I just don't see why reading "The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them." is better than reading "the president will be paid for being president, and the amount he is paid can't change while he is in office, and he won't be paid or compensated in any form by the individual or collected states other than this primary payment." Or however you want to rephrase that.

Reading the actual text just seems to create people like this guy who called into the show saying more people should read the constitution, because it only says that the government can make COINS, not PAPER MONEY, and they should be GOLD AND SILVER, and this is the source of all of our problems.

[AugustWest]

-Do that many Americans really go to finishing school?

Heh.

It isn't a piece of literature. I do not think reading the actual text gives you some sort of knowledge you wouldn't otherwise have, unless you are a specialist in word usage in the late 18th century.

Well, yes and no.  I agree that on a lay level having an understanding of what the Constitution says is sufficient.  But the actual phrasing can be vitally important.  Words mean things.  The Constitution says what it says, not what we may summarize or restate it to say.  It can make a difference.

I also question the assertion that most Americans have a good grasp of what the Constitution actually says.  Maybe I've just been oversensitized lately by the right wing's canard that Obama is trampling on the Constitution (How exactly?  Cites please.)  But it sure looks to me like a lot of folks have wildly inaccurate ideas about what is and isn't in there.

Obligatory Onion link.

[theinevitable]

yeah, it was pretty confusing to hear this guy say that most Americans have a good grasp of constitutional powers.

I guess I would have bought it if he said "most Americans haven't read the Constitution, and don't know what it contains. They should read it."
But saying they should read it, even though they know what it says?

[wombat]

Reading the actual text just seems to create people like this guy who called into the show saying more people should read the constitution, because it only says that the government can make COINS, not PAPER MONEY, and they should be GOLD AND SILVER, and this is the source of all of our problems.

Yeah, this. Sometimes it seems we would be better off if fewer people read the Constitution.

[jay-ell]

I wonder -- just for the sake of musing -- what percentage of Americans have read the Bible in the last 10 years, and if that compares favorably or unfavorably with the percentage who have read the Constitution (or even if there's much overlap between the groups).

[pmcd9]

Reading the bible is directly responsible for me giving up Christianity, but reading the constitution didn't make me want to overthrow the government.

[Doc]

I haven't read your constitution, or mine. I've read select passages of the bible recently but haven't sat down with the bugger since probably highschool or earlier.