A Shocking 10% of College Grads Think Judge Judy is a Supreme Court Justice

Where reality TV meets the law, there’s Judge Judy, dispensing justice with her trademark sass. A new poll, however, shows 10% of college graduates thinks she sits on the Supreme Court.

KSL.com reports:

That’s right — 10 percent of college graduates seem to identify the famous lawyer and TV personality — Judith Sheindlin — as a member of the Supreme Court. That troubling revelation comes from a recently released report compiled by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.

The results are based on a poll conducted last year of about 1,000 recent college graduates in the U.S. In addition to the 10 percent who incorrectly identified Judge Judy as a member of SCOTUS — her show portrays her handing down judgement in a courtroom, but it’s most definitely not the Supreme Court

Only 28% were able to identify James Madison as the founder of the US Constitution, which isn’t a surprise considering their knowledge of the Constitution. Half of the grad surveyed didn’t know the process for amending the Constitution and 40% were unaware that congress has the power to declare war.

The problem seems to be getting worse, with younger participants faring far worse than their older counterparts in the survey.

Take taxes, for example. Nearly all college graduates over the age of 65 — 98 percent, to be exact — were aware the president cannot establish taxes. But only 73 percent of their younger counterparts — ages 25 to 34 — knew the right answer on that issue.

What’s causing this divide? The study’s author points to curriculum.

“Too many colleges and universities confuse community service and student activism with civic education,” the author writes. “Service learning and political engagement form a wholesome part of the development of character and, when judiciously chosen, lead to civic virtue. But without coursework in American history and government, such activities achieve little of substance.”

Watch this CNN report on the study: