Only %1 of Americans polled recently knew the names of all 9 Supreme Court justices. That obviously means that %99 of U.S. citizens do not know these names. Given that we live in system of “one-man-one-vote”, that we have a democracy where information is a precious currency, and that there is a disconnect between needed information and the voter, it does look our ignorance may not be benign. There is caution not to overstate the importance of knowing all the names since the court usually acts as one body. Still %1 is abysmal. Twenty to %25 would be bad enough, but none of the justices received that much recognition. The one name most respondent were able to mention was that of Clarence Thomas, and that was %19. One could make a case that our democracy can function without this knowledge, and that there are other more relevant information when one enters a voting booth. But the fact of %1 of Americans being able to name all 9 justices still stands as a reminder of our own power in a democracy. Being better informed has nothing to do with politics, big corporations, or any of the things that could influence our vote. It rests solely with us.