Kids: Government is working

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Politico:

Kids! They say they darnedest things, don’t they?!?

Things, apparently, like, “The U.S. government is a well-functioning legislative body!”

Highlights magazine polled 1,265 readers and discovered that a whopping 70.5 percent of children “believe in the ability of government leaders to tackle most of the country’s problems” (compare that to their jaded elders, who give Congress only a 14 percent approval rating). The youngest children surveyed were even more enthusiastic, 81 percent of whom are confident in our leaders’ problem-solving abilities.

The survey is part of the magazine’s annual “State of the Kid” survey and, while children may not share their parents pessimism about Washington, the results did reveal that children are worried about many of the same issues as their moms and dads.

Fixing the economy was listed as a top priority by the children should they become president, followed soon thereafter by — what else — wandering around the White House to explore, with the in-house bowling alley at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue cited as being of particular interest.

And proving that the story of George Washington and the cherry tree has really sunk in, 42 percent of kids said “honesty was the most important quality for a president,” twice as much as the runner-up, kindness. (“Experience” was dead last.)

So pay attention, Obama and Romney, says Highlights editor in chief Christine French Cully.

“One of the most powerful things we can do for children is to really listen to them,” said Cully. “Our hope is that adding kids’ voices to the conversation on these topics will enrich and deepen the dialogue, and help all of us who work to make children’s lives better.”

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Eh, they'll learn soon enough...