It's (not only) that they're historical illiterates; they've been kept in infancy and taught to depend on others to provide their needs throughout their years in our modern indoctrination system

/

(See note, below)

About half of college students say socialism is better than capitalism, poll says

A Yale Buckley Institute survey finds nearly half of undergraduates favor socialism over capitalism, with some even praising countries like Cuba.

Liberal students were most supportive, highlighting ideological bias on campus and concerns over suppression of opposing views.

The poll, conducted for Yale University’s William F. Buckley Institute, asked undergraduates whether they agreed with the statement, “While socialist countries like Cuba and the Soviet Union have not been perfect, they offer a better economic model than capitalist countries like the United States.” 

Nearly half of respondents, 46 percent, supported the statement placing socialistic model of government above our capitalistic one, according exclusive early information about the poll in an exclusive by The New York Post. 39 percent disagreed, while 15 percent said they were unsure.

“If you had to choose, which economic system would you prefer to live under?” asked the poll. About 40 percent slightly preferred capitalism, 36 percent chose socialism, and 24 percent were unsure.

Political affiliation influenced responses: among students identifying as liberal, nearly six in 10 (58 percent) favored socialism, while 63 percent of conservatives preferred capitalism.

“It is alarming that a record percentage of undergraduates support shouting down opinions they don’t like,” said Buckley Institute Executive Director Lauren Noble about the poll. “Nearly 40% think violence is justifiable, a disturbing reality coming just weeks after Charlie Kirk’s assassination.”

NOTE: Google offers a correction to this misleading photograph

AI Overview

Studies confirm that many American college students lack a basic grasp of U.S. history, but there is no evidence to suggest this is related to owning or cuddling teddy bears

. The idea that historical illiteracy and cuddling bears are linked appears to be a manufactured association intended to mock or discredit young people. 

The issue of historical illiteracy

Multiple surveys and studies have documented the limited historical knowledge among American college students and recent graduates:

  • A 2024 survey by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) found that many students graduate without a "rudimentary grasp of America's history and political system". For example, in 2017, only 26% of Americans could correctly name all three branches of the U.S. government.

  • The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), or "America's report card," found that only 13% of eighth-graders were proficient in U.S. history in 2023.

  • A 2018 study by the Stanford History Education Group found that even upper-level history majors struggled to critically evaluate historical sources. 

Reasons for declining historical knowledge

Academic analysis points to several educational and societal factors for this lack of historical knowledge:

  • Focus on vocational training: Some experts argue that in high school and college, an emphasis on STEM or business degrees has led to a de-prioritization of humanities subjects like history.

  • Curriculum shifts: The replacement of foundational history courses, such as U.S. or Western civilization surveys, with more specialized subjects has reduced the opportunity for students to learn a broad, chronological narrative.

  • Perceptions of relevance: Some students and educators question the relevance of historical facts in an era where information is easily accessible. This leads to a decline in student interest in required history courses.

  • Declining reading rates: The long-term decline in reading proficiency and enjoyment among young people has contributed to their historical illiteracy. 

History is irrelevant because students can always look it up? That assumes that they will “look it up”, but with no historical reference to spur them to question an authority figure’s assertion, and lacking even idle curiosity, why would they?