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Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine the reading comprehension difficulty level of the U.S. Constitution for a sample (N=117) of typical college students. A 50-item cloze measure was prepared over a section of the Constitution and administered. Approximately 25% of the subjects demonstrated substantial difficulty in completing the cloze passage. Most subjects scored at a level suggesting competence in comprehending the Constitution provided there was instructional support while only a few demonstrated great ease in comprehending the document.

Findings suggest that the U.S. Constitution is a difficult document for readers to comprehend. Consequently, the need for presenting the Constitution in learning environments designed to facilitate understanding of this document is evident. The contention that greater emphasis on the Constitution might be needed is evidenced by the fact that the subjects, representing the more competent learners among the general population, demonstrated difficulty with it.

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Understanding the U.S. Constitution: How Difficult Is It?

Abstract

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