Do You Dare Take the Civics Literacy Test?

[PoliticalChic]

How kind, and how I wish it did.

We didn't have Civics at school in Britain. Now, ask me about The Battle of Hastings, Magna Carta or The Spanish Armada and I could go on for hours.

Still, I've learnt a few things tonight.

You did better than most Americans. Knowledge of history (there were economic and philosophical questions too) is sorely lacking in our educational system. I assume that people on this board did so well because they do their own reading based on an interest of keeping informed.

 

[PoliticalChic]

You answered 32 out of 33 correctly — 96.97 %
Average score for this quiz during November: 77.2%
Average score since November 20, 2008: 77.2%
You can take the quiz as often as you like, however, your score will only count once toward the monthly average.
If you have any comments or questions about the quiz, please email americancivicliteracy@isi.org.
You can consult the following table to see how citizens and elected officials scored on each question.
Where to from here?


Answers to Your Missed Questions:
Question #6 - D. establishing an official religion for the United States



Coulda swore I clicked D on #6
D. establishing an official religion for the United States
E. the president from vetoing a line item in a spending bill

I hate you! LOL! Which institution do you credit for your knowledge?

 

[AVG-JOE]

You answered 29 out of 33 correctly — 87.88 %

Question #1 - E. life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
Question #7 - D. Gettysburg Address
Question #29 - B. a resident can benefit from it without directly paying for it
Question #33 - D. tax per person equals government spending per person

Cool post! Thanks, PC!

-Joe

 

[PoliticalChic]

You answered 29 out of 33 correctly — 87.88 %

Cool post! Thanks, PC!

-Joe

It was fun, wasn't it? Which questions did you get wrong. Too bad I didn't copy that part and paste.

I'm trying to recall. I got #33 wrong plus the question on FDR (why was I thinking Great Society?). Two more incorrect, but can't remember offhand.

 

[Silence]

You answered 26 out of 33 correctly — 78.79 %

Average score for this quiz during November: 77.2%
Average score since November 20, 2008: 77.2%

Answers to Your Missed Questions:


Question #7 - D. Gettysburg Address
Question #11 - A. their arguments helped lead to the adoption of the Bill of Rights
Question #14 - B. stressed the sinfulness of all humanity
Question #15 - E. Thomas Jefferson’s letters
Question #27 - A. the price system utilizes more local knowledge of means and ends
Question #31 - A. an increase in a nation’s productivity
Question #33 - D. tax per person equals government spending per person[/COLOR]

 

[AVG-JOE]

Question #33 seems to have been a pretty consistent trip-up for our little gang. 'D' is correct and it still doesn't make sense to me as to why...

33) If taxes equal government spending, then:
A. government debt is zero
B. printing money no longer causes inflation
C. government is not helping anybody
D. tax per person equals government spending per person
E. tax loopholes and special-interest spending are absent

I answered 'A' incorrectly... Anyone else?

-Joe

 

[NOBama]

I hate you! LOL! Which institution do you credit for your knowledge?

The institution of hanging around with people who know more than I do LOL!

 

[jillian]

Question #33 seems to have been a pretty consistent trip-up for our little gang. 'D' is correct and it still doesn't make sense to me as to why...

33) If taxes equal government spending, then:
A. government debt is zero
B. printing money no longer causes inflation
C. government is not helping anybody
D. tax per person equals government spending per person
E. tax loopholes and special-interest spending are absent

I answered 'A' incorrectly... Anyone else?

-Joe

I said A as well, even though I knew it had nothing to do with debt (since we had no information as to past debt)... but I also knew since tax is not equal for all people, that spending per person could not equal tax per person... government not helping anyone and tax loopholes are judgment calls and weren't really appropriate.

I still think A was the best of the answers and the others are political judments rather than any appropriate "civics" lesson.

 

[GigiBowman]

I'm evidently the dummy of the group.

You answered 23 out of 33 correctly — 69.70 %

Don't feel bad, I got 24 out of 33 correct, but then I haven't had my morning coffee yet AND i'm in a bad mood because my daughter keeps downloading stuff on her cell phone that cost me money....it's not like the cell phone bill is not LARGE ENOUGH without this crap! Rotten kids!

There. I vented.

 

[Ravi]

You answered 27 out of 33 correctly — 81.82 %

Question #7 - D. Gettysburg Address
Question #8 - C. appoint additional Supreme Court justices who shared his views
Question #13 - E. certain permanent moral and political truths are accessible to human reason
Question #14 - B. stressed the sinfulness of all humanity
Question #32 - C. buying or selling government securities
Question #33 - D. tax per person equals government spending per person

 

[Ravi]

Question #33 seems to have been a pretty consistent trip-up for our little gang. 'D' is correct and it still doesn't make sense to me as to why...

33) If taxes equal government spending, then:
A. government debt is zero
B. printing money no longer causes inflation
C. government is not helping anybody
D. tax per person equals government spending per person
E. tax loopholes and special-interest spending are absent

I answered 'A' incorrectly... Anyone else?

-Joe

I answered A as well.

 

[Article 15]

Question #33 seems to have been a pretty consistent trip-up for our little gang. 'D' is correct and it still doesn't make sense to me as to why...

33) If taxes equal government spending, then:
A. government debt is zero
B. printing money no longer causes inflation
C. government is not helping anybody
D. tax per person equals government spending per person
E. tax loopholes and special-interest spending are absent

I answered 'A' incorrectly... Anyone else?

-Joe

I did the same thing on that one.

 

[jillian]

Don't feel bad, I got 24 out of 33 correct, but then I haven't had my morning coffee yet AND i'm in a bad mood because my daughter keeps downloading stuff on her cell phone that cost me money....it's not like the cell phone bill is not LARGE ENOUGH without this crap! Rotten kids!

There. I vented.

You, too??? I had an extra $100 on my cell phone bill last month because my 11 year old likes playing games on the phone.

I tell him G-d makes them cute so we don't kill them.

 

[AVG-JOE]

It was fun, wasn't it? Which questions did you get wrong. Too bad I didn't copy that part and paste.

I'm trying to recall. I got #33 wrong plus the question on FDR (why was I thinking Great Society?). Two more incorrect, but can't remember offhand.

I think that the 'Great Society' was LBJ's 'Civil Rights' thing.

-Joe

 

[AVG-JOE]

I did the same thing on that one.

O.k. - Majority rules... everyone who answered 'A' on question 33, or got it right, go back and adjust your score.

-Joe

 

[GigiBowman]

You, too??? I had an extra $100 on my cell phone bill last month because my 11 year old likes playing games on the phone.

I tell him G-d makes them cute so we don't kill them.

I can't take it anymore! I have two daughters and myself on a verizon plan with unlimited text messages becaues THAT'S ALL KIDS KNOW HOW TO DO! And the bill is usually $165.00 for 3 phones blah blah blah.
I get a bill today for $204.00! I knew exactly which daughter's billing to look at....low and behold song downloads, subscriptions.....all nonsese totally $40 bucks! That's how much she makes working for a whole week! I'm collecting from her when she gets home from school. I want cash in the hand!
Next step I'm taking her phone away and she can get her own plan --but then again she's 16 dammit and she can't get her own plan.

Well, when we forego food because she has to have music downloads.....maybe that will teach her a lesson! Sorry, NO LUNCH this week because you downloaded it already lol

ok, I swear I will stop venting any minute now lol

 

[jillian]

I can't take it anymore! I have two daughters and myself on a verizon plan with unlimited text messages becaues THAT'S ALL KIDS KNOW HOW TO DO! And the bill is usually $165.00 for 3 phones blah blah blah.
I get a bill today for $204.00! I knew exactly which daughter's billing to look at....low and behold song downloads, subscriptions.....all nonsese totally $40 bucks! That's how much she makes working for a whole week! I'm collecting from her when she gets home from school. I want cash in the hand!
Next step I'm taking her phone away and she can get her own plan --but then again she's 16 dammit and she can't get her own plan.

Well, when we forego food because she has to have music downloads.....maybe that will teach her a lesson! Sorry, NO LUNCH this week because you downloaded it already lol

ok, I swear I will stop venting any minute now lol

Tell her you're going to garnish her paycheck.

I think they have no sense of what things cost. My son knew he was only allowed to get one game a month. I know he didn't give that one second of thought when he downloaded a game this morning and said "I downloaded my December game". I said "It isn't December yet". His response "But I'll use this game FOR December". I tried to explain to him that the point of one download a month is that THAT is how much he is allowed to spend on games on the phone per month. His response "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh".

I told him no games for December. Of course, theres's also the "subscription" for "cute puppies.

(And dammit, I couldn't turn that one off... they ARE cute... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr).

I found in dealing with Verizon, they're pretty good at cutting off features if you don't want them. Telling her you'll turn off her ability to text if she doesn't stop might have an effect. It's kind of like putting them into isolation.

 

[Care4all]

Question #33 seems to have been a pretty consistent trip-up for our little gang. 'D' is correct and it still doesn't make sense to me as to why...

33) If taxes equal government spending, then:
A. government debt is zero
B. printing money no longer causes inflation
C. government is not helping anybody
D. tax per person equals government spending per person
E. tax loopholes and special-interest spending are absent

I answered 'A' incorrectly... Anyone else?

A-was incorrect because they used the word "debt" instead of "Deficit"....it was tricky.....

The deficit would have been zero, because they had a ballanced budget, but the debt would not have necessarily been zero, because we (legally)use social security surplusses collected and in the ''budget'' to help pay for gvt spending....and THIS adds to our national debt....it is "borrowed" from social security and will have to be paid back some day....while it would not show as a budget deficit.

Thus, the only possible, right answer, would be D, with a balanced budget, we would be spending precisely what we are collecting in total revenues.

care

 

[editec]

This test started out asking questions with clearly correct answers.

Then the biases of the designers started manifesting in some of the questions, folks.

When it comes to things economic?

Those anwers to those questions are all debateable.

 

[Ravi]

This test started out asking questions with clearly correct answers.

Then the biases of the designers started manifesting in some of the questions, folks.

When it comes to things economic?

Those anwers to those questions are all debateable.

I guess those leading questions about FDR, the most hated liberal of all time, should have been the tip off. Here's who is behind this test:

Although ISI does not have any official partisan or religious affiliation, the Institute tends towards paleoconservative and traditionalist positions. The influence of several important twentieth-century Roman Catholic thinkers is also apparent at ISI. In fact, the very reason given for the existence of ISI is that education in the modern university is insufficiently liberal (in the traditional sense) to meet the needs of a classical education. Further, the organization fights what it perceives as political correctness and liberal (in the modern sense) bias among campus professors.

Intercollegiate Studies Institute - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia