The Annenberg Civics Knowledge Survey, conducted since 2006, focuses on the public’s understanding of the Constitution of the United States. Since 2014, the civics knowledge survey has been published annually for Constitution Day (Sept. 17) as the Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey. Among the 2025 findings:
- More than two-thirds of U.S. adults (70%) can name all three branches of government, an increase over 2024 (65%).
- Asked what specific rights are guaranteed by the First Amendment, nearly 4 in 5 respondents (79%) say freedom of speech. Each of the other four rights are named by less than half of the group: the next-most often cited, freedom of religion, is named by 48%.
- The survey finds a continuing erosion of trust in the U.S. Supreme Court, with just 41% with moderate or greater trust in the court and 59% who have low or no trust in the court.
- A bipartisan majority of Americans support several reforms to the Supreme Court, including term limits, a mandatory retirement age, creation of a formal ethics code, and prohibiting justices from participating in cases in which they have personal or financial interests.
