Why it matters: “This knowledge appears to have been purchased at a real cost,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. “It was a contentious year in which the branches of government were stress-tested.”

Details: An annual civics study conducted by researchers at the Annenberg Public Policy Center finds that a more polarized society knows more about the basics of American government, and much more about the First Amendment.

In 2021, 56% of Americans were able to name all three branches of government, up from 51% in 2020 and 33% in 2006.

About one-third of respondents say they know how long the term of office for members of Congress, both in the House and Senate.