When asked "if a person disagrees with a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court can he or she appeal the ruling to the Federal Court of Appeals?" only 30 percent know that the high court rulings are final, 32 percent think rulings can be appealed, and 38 percent are "not sure" or "don't know."

"These survey findings show just how important it is to educate all Americans about their government and the Constitution that created it," said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

"The health of a democracy depends on an enlightened and engaged citizenry."

Other findings include: A majority of Americans, 55 percent, do not know that when the Supreme Court rules five to four on a case, the decision becomes law and needs to be followed.

In addition, 14 percent believe the decision is sent to Congress for reconsideration, 7 percent believe the decision is sent back to the lower courts, and 34 percent simply don't know.

Also, only one in seven Americans, 15 percent, can correctly name John Roberts as Chief Justice of the United States, while two-thirds of Americans, 66 percent, know at least one of the judges on the Fox television show American Idol.

As part of a national effort to enhance knowledge about the Constitution, the Annenberg Public Policy Center recently distributed to 27,000 schools around the country, learning materials from its Annenberg Classroom project for use in Constitution Day observances.

The materials were provided at no cost. This is the third annual Annenberg Constitution Day initiative, which was designed to help teachers and students explore the meaning and importance of our nation's founding document.

This year's offerings, created with the help of five justices of the Supreme Court and top Constitutional scholars, include Films on DVD:

A Conversation on the Constitution: Judicial Independence Supreme Court Justices Stephen Breyer, Anthony Kennedy, and Sandra Day O'Connor speak with high school students from California and Pennsylvania about the significance of the judiciary in the federal government, and the ways in which independence is protected by the Constitution.

A Conversation with Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. on the Origin, Nature, and Importance of the Supreme Court: Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts, Jr. and a group of high school students participate in a conversation about the high court, from its history and evolution to the methods Justices use in selecting and hearing cases. In addition, the group discusses the role of an independent judiciary and other issues crucial to a healthy democracy.

A Conversation on the Constitution with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Fourteenth Amendment: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and a group of students gather at the Supreme Court to discuss the importance of the Fourteenth Amendment, and how it came to embody and protect the principle of "We the People."

The Constitution Project: An Independent Judiciary: This film chronicles two key moments that defined our understanding of the role of the judiciary: the Cherokee Nation's struggles before the Supreme Court in the 1830s to preserve its homeland, and Cooper v. Aaron, the 1958 Supreme Court case that affirmed that states were bound to follow the Court's order to integrate their schools.

The films, in addition to previously available Constitution Day DVDs, are available on the Annenberg Classroom website at www.AnnenbergClassroom.org, captioned in 14 different languages.

Radio Programs from Justice Talking: Justice Talking, an award-winning radio program from the Annenberg Public Policy Center and NPR, has selected two of its shows for use on Constitution Day.

These shows, hosted by NPR's Margot Adler, are available on CD, online at www.justicetalking.org, or can be downloaded for use on an MP3 player. They include:

Does Free Speech Stop at the Schoolhouse Door? This program examines the Supreme Court case Morse v. Frederick, which asked whether school administrators can limit student speech both in school buildings and outside at school sponsored events.

The Death Penalty: Is Justice Being Served? This show addresses a variety of controversial issues surrounding the death penalty, including a botched execution in Florida that raised the question of whether lethal injection violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.

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Charles   |2007-09-28 15:25:32 I'm going with stupid... Reply 0   0

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