There is, of course, no disgrace in failing to understand the complicated nuances of statistics and the like. But the problem goes deeper than that. However, that form of analysis is only appropriate if there are only two choices. As we all know from the infamous butterfly ballot, there were far more than two sets of names on the paper. Plus, there is always the chance that a voter deliberately mismarked his or her ballot, and the unfortunate reality that some people really don't know what they're doing.
Numbers are a very important part of our everyday lives.
To function effectively we have to be able to add up prices at the store, or work out how much space we'll have in our new apartment. Even here, however, there is bad news for Americans. If one in five people is not functionally numerate, then there are all sorts of problems in store. Too much of our society depends upon numbers in some way for us not to have to worry about this. For the individual, numeracy even more than literacy is a predictor of earnings level.