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.

I have an STD and still only missed 5.



GRANNY.

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]

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

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: 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 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: 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

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.. 😀

[miss click] Question: Under Our Constitution, some powers belong exclusively to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
Your Answer: Make zoning laws
Correct Answer: Make treaties [/miss click]

So I reckon I should have scored closer to 27/33 which would have me closer to 81% , not that anyone's counting, right? 😛

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.

Globalization may lead to other problems such as unemployment, but in no case has globalization led to economic recession. On the contrary, economies are linked to each other and recession of one country often leads to recession in others because of decreased trade activity. Increased trade leads to an ability to procure goods and ingredients for other goods and services that can be produced more efficiently and so leads to increased productivity.

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.

Giving more money to the people in every way possible has been the government's standard choice of fighting recessions for a long time now. For examples, in 2001, we all got a nice tax rebate just for existing as Bush and Co. tried (successfully) to
break the 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

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 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.

Obviously there has to be a reason behind that, (something changed) or else Congress would never have declared war. What changed? Here are some ideas:

http://finance.townhall.com/columnists/georgefriedman/2011/03/29/what_happened_to_the_american_declaration_of_war/page/full/

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/

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're really at "war." Instead, we call it a temporary incursion or police action. the American public doesn't mind bombing raids or even an invasion here or there, but we're not ready for the mindset that we're really at "war."

During the Iraq war, even in the initial few weeks after the invasion, when there was still classical fighting going on, most people probably would have opined that the country was still fundamentally at peace and that this was just a little military job that we needed to do and get over with.

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.

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 teeth into war crimes issues. Apparently some back then thought that by not declaring war they could avoid war crimes charges. This is still somewhat arguable, at least during the initial stages of an armed conflict. But the perception that it was so, might have made some congressmen and the president demotivated toward declaring war. Yet, again, as you say, the overarching shift recognized the background of an attitude toward war, which was reflected in these institutional developments.

See, I can complexify almost anything. 😉

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. 😉

I understand your point but I would like to point out that I don't think most American politicians give a damn what the UN thinks of US military actions and I can't imagine that US politicians are too worried about being brought up on war crimes charges. So, I think the effect of the existence of the UN on this is minimal.

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.

28 out of 33 correct 84.85% not bad for a brit

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

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?

It's because we are "the hope of the Earth" and they are not.

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?

Not American media per se, but European media pay a lot of attention to what happens in the US. Elections are widely covered in local media; this afternoon at work I was talking with colleagues about the US primaries. The cultural influence of the US is vast and you shouldn't underestimate it.