One in five Americans lacks the basic reading skills beyond a 4th grade level.
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/infographics/Illiterate-America-800.png)
How the linguistic standard of the presidential address has declined
Using the Flesch-Kincaid readability test the Guardian has tracked the reading level of every state of the union.
![](http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user3303/imageroot/2013/02/20130212_SOTU1.jpg)
![](http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user3303/imageroot/2013/02/20130212_SOTU2.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/infographics/Illiterate-America-800.png)
How the linguistic standard of the presidential address has declined
Using the Flesch-Kincaid readability test the Guardian has tracked the reading level of every state of the union.
![](http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user3303/imageroot/2013/02/20130212_SOTU1.jpg)
![](http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user3303/imageroot/2013/02/20130212_SOTU2.jpg)
Is Congress Getting Dumber, Or Just More Plainspoken? Congress Speaks At 10th Grade Level