A recent study revealed some startling findings related to Americans’ knowledge of the Constitution and the government. It found that a disturbing percentage of college students are not familiar with the nation’s founding documents or the rights they are supposed to protect.

At a time when civics education is at abysmal levels, the findings of the survey should be a wake-up call to the entire country. It also underscores a deeply profound educational crisis in America.

Political science professor at Suffolk Community College and Campus Reform Higher Education Fellow Nick Giordano said that 90% of college students couldn't differentiate the U.S. constitution from the Russia constitution.

"So for the last decade, I assign my students a constitutional exercise," Giordano said on the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show. "It's to see if they could identify the Constitution, and 90% of my students can't differentiate between the American from the Russian constitution. It really is startling."

Literacy regarding the U.S. Constitution has been on the decline for a while, according to other studies.

According to a survey conducted by the University of Pennsylvania's Annenburg Public Policy Center, only one in six U.S. adults could name any of the branches of government.

At the center of the issue is the reality that the education system bypasses the teaching of the Constitution and is failing to teach students how our system of government is supposed to function. Indeed, When Giordano asked 8^th graders why they were unfamiliar with the document, they responded, “We’ve never read it.” This means that kids are growing into adulthood without even understanding the governmental system under which they live.

This is a serious danger to the future of our nation – especially when it comes to understanding concepts like natural rights and government overreach.

The Constitution is supposed to be the foundational legal document of the United States. It outlines the framework under which the government is supposed to operate. But if more and more Americans are ignorant of these concepts, how can they make informed decisions when it comes to forming their political opinions and choosing which candidates are best suited to be in positions of power? Indeed, how will people know when and how to hold government officials accountable when they are not even aware of the limitations the Constitution is supposed to place on them?

Those who are not aware of their rights cannot adequately defend them. Moreover, they might be more willing to elect officials who will use the power of the state to impose their will on the rest of the population.

It might seem tempting to assume that this is a failure of the educational system. But what if it isn’t? Perhaps our educational institutions are being used to create a society that is more amenable to a bloated and corrupt government by making sure the citizenry does not understand what being a free society is supposed to look like.

As America continues to confront its many challenges, constitutional literacy should be paramount. Unfortunately, it appears our educational institutions are only serving to strengthen the power of the government by keeping people ignorant.