In a 1998 survey, more U.S. teens could name the Three Stooges (59%) than the three branches of the federal government (41%).  While these findings created quite a stir at the time, they seemingly failed to result in any changes.  In an America Online survey (The Washington Times, August 15, 2006) released this summer...

• 77 percent of American adults could identify two of the Seven Dwarfs, but only 24 percent could name two Supreme Court justices;
• 74 percent were able to name Moe, Larry, and Curly as the Stooges, but only 42 percent knew that the legislative, executive, and judicial branches made up the federal government;
• 60 percent knew Krypton as Superman's home planet, but only 40 percent knew that Mercury was the closest planet to the sun.

Syracuse University communications professor Robert Thomson, who designed the questions on the America Online poll, observed, "These results are not about how 'dumb' Americans are, but how much more effective popular culture information is communicated and retained by citizens than many of the messages that come from government, educational institutions, and the media.  There are important lessons to be learned here."