Okay America, how dumb are you? According to members of the Clinton administration, pretty dumb. Seventy-seven percent of administration officials believe Americans don't know enough about public issues to make wise decisions, according to a survey done by Pew and the National Journal. Meanwhile, 81 percent of career bureaucrats believe Americans are not knowledge enough for self-government.

Respect for the public is slightly higher on Capitol Hill. There, 31 percent of officials believe the public is capable of making wise decisions, while 47 percent do not. So that's the view from Washington: We know better.