US Civics Test

Teinosuke retains the best foreigner price, he beat me by one question. Made two stupid mistakes though, should have guessed the "monkey trial" was about evolution but thought that was too obvious. I also missed the "business profit" question, saw the words costs and revenue and didn't bother to see if they were in the right order.

The public goods question was clear to me, but maybe it's a term not used that often outside of economics ?

30 out of 33.

90.91%

I haven't gone back and checked what I missed yet.

You answered 24 out of 33 correctly — 72.73 %

Originally posted by USArmyParatrooper
Crazy. I missed four and I have a GED.

Originally posted by kmax87
[b]You answered 24 out of 33 correctly — 72.73 %

Not bad for an Aussie, I thought.

Of the nine I got wrong though, one was a miss click and I take issue with a couple.

The disputed questions I highlighted, as for the rest, how the hell was I meant to know that!

Oops hastily edited out. When the test settles I might post my objections[/b]

Question: The phrase that in America there should be a “wall of separation” between church and state appears in:
Your Answer: the Mayflower Compact
Correct Answer: Thomas Jefferson’s letters

Question: In 1935 and 1936 the Supreme Court declared that important parts of the New Deal were unconstitutional. President Roosevelt responded by threatening to:
Your Answer: override the Supreme Court’s decisions by gaining three-quarter majorities in both houses of Congress
Correct Answer: appoint additional Supreme Court justices who shared his views

Question: What was the source of the following phrase: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”?
Your Answer: Declaration of Independence
Correct Answer: Gettysburg Address

Question: The Puritans:
Your Answer: believed in complete religious freedom
Correct Answer: stressed the sinfulness of all humanity

Question: If taxes equal government spending, then:
Your Answer: government debt is zero
Correct Answer: tax per person equals government spending per person on average
I got this wrong because I forgot about the interest payments the government is always in hoc to the Fed for, in creating the money supply, a fact that is often dismissed as wild eyed conspiracy, which sort of explains my answer.. 😀

Originally posted by kmax87
It looks like most who would have taken the test by now have done so, so SPOILER ALERT if you still want to take the test.

I took issue with some of the answers marked incorrect so here goes....

Those I just didn't know and am fine with I left in quotes.

Incorrect Answers

[quote] Question: The phrase that in America there should be a “wall of ...[text shortened]... ed closer to 27/33 which would have me closer to 81% , not that anyone's counting, right? 😛

Question: International trade and specialization most often lead to which of the following?
Your Answer: a decrease in a nation’s economic growth in the long term
Correct Answer: an increase in a nation’s productivity
I have a problem with this answer. In the case of the developing world huge infrastructural loans given by the IMF or World Bank lead to cash cropping and or the nation specializing and basing their economy on the exploitation of one or two plentiful resources which inevitably leads to a loss of self sufficiency and impoverishment in the long run....but this may not be the case from the perspective of the worlds current hegemonic superpower.

Question: Which of the following fiscal policy combinations has the federal government most often followed to stimulate economic activity when the economy is in a severe recession?
Your Answer: increasing taxes and decreasing spending
Correct Answer: decreasing taxes and increasing spending

I thought that the decreased taxes and increased spending regime was a relatively new phenomenon in US fiscal policy to overcome recession.

Question: What part of the government has the power to declare war?
Your Answer: the president
Correct Answer: Congress

I thought that under certain circumstances the President could access emergency/special powers to declare war without first gaining congress' approval

Originally posted by sh76
[quote]Question: International trade and specialization most often lead to which of the following?
Your Answer: a decrease in a nation’s economic growth in the long term
Correct Answer: an increase in a nation’s productivity
I have a problem with this answer. In the case of the developing world huge infrastructural loans given by the IMF or World Bank lea ...[text shortened]... lare war. That, of course, is the reason that we have not had a declaration of war since 1942.

The President can send soldiers to repulse a foreign invasion or overseas for a limited time under the War Powers Resolution (which is of questionable validity in any case), but only Congress can declare war. That, of course, is the reason that we have not had a declaration of war since 1942.

Originally posted by JS357

The President can send soldiers to repulse a foreign invasion or overseas for a limited time under the War Powers Resolution (which is of questionable validity in any case), but only Congress can declare war. That, of course, is the reason that we have not had a declaration of war since 1942.

Obviously there has to be a reason behind that, (s ...[text shortened]... columnists/georgefriedman/2011/03/29/what_happened_to_the_american_declaration_of_war/page/full/

Originally posted by sh76
I have a much simpler theory.

War is now considered an inherently bad thing. Before WWII, it was not necessarily so. We used to have a "Secretary of War," now we have a "Secretary of Defense."

War used to be looked at as honorable, even glorious. Now it is looked at as, at best, a necessary evil sometimes.

So, these days we don't want to admit that we' ...[text shortened]... nd that this was just a little military job that we needed to do and get over with.

Originally posted by JS357
I think you are right over the long term about the influence of attitudes toward war. But there was a significant new player that came into the game between WWII and the Korean Conflict, the UN, plus there were the 1949 Geneva conventions. These two developments may reflect the very attitude shift you mention, and they put some teeth or at least threat of teet ...[text shortened]... was reflected in these institutional developments.

See, I can complexify almost anything. 😉

32 of 33. Missed the Gettysburg Address answer.

Originally posted by Sleepyguy
For the American politics nerds here. Care to test your knowledge?

http://www.isi.org/quiz.aspx?q=FE5C3B47-9675-41E0-9CF3-072BB31E2692&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Note that the average score was 49%, college profs averaged 55%, and elected officials, surprising no one, bring up the rear with 44%.

I'll post my score if you post yours.

Originally posted by kevcvs57
28 out of 33 correct 84.85% not bad for a brit

Originally posted by sh76
Why do Europeans and Australians seem to know so much about American government and politics?

I got 100% on that test, but if I took a similar one about British government, I figure I'd be lucky to get 20.

Is American media really so pervasive in so many places?

Originally posted by sh76
Why do Europeans and Australians seem to know so much about American government and politics?

I got 100% on that test, but if I took a similar one about British government, I figure I'd be lucky to get 20.

Is American media really so pervasive in so many places?