Comments on: Elected Officials Fail U.S. History

By: DJC

DJC — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:15:26 +0000

32/33. Missed no. 33. The “correct” answer to that question is vaguely worded, indeed.

By: Kiwi

Kiwi — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 01:34:30 +0000

31/33. Not bad for a foreigner!!! Never even been to America.

By: RWW

RWW — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:55:22 +0000

Stimulate the economy by decreasing taxes and increasing spending?? WTF? Keynesian morons.

By: Nick T

Nick T — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:20:45 +0000

Quotes and other things are kinda silly. It’s nice to know those things and all, but they really don’t mean much. I’d rather see more questions about the basic structure of government and the rights granted by the Constitution, and the powers outlined therein as well. That seems to be more usefull knowledge. I guess the econ is pretty useful, but I did not do so well there so I’m biased. I got a 29 btw.

By: mpd

mpd — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:39:48 +0000

I am kind of disappointed in myself for only getting 27 right. I would like to blame it on trying to take the quiz really quick while at work, but even I think that’s a lame excuse.

But if an elected official can’t get at least 75% of these right I think they should be made to take a Civics class and throw in an Ethics class for good measure.

By: jwk

jwk — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:32:50 +0000

28/33. Completely bombed the economic questions – unfortunately studied (?) that arena the last semester my senior year of HS.

By: SusanK

SusanK — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:31:55 +0000

28/33. I’m a lawyer who runs my own firm and minored in philosophy in college. Yep, missed the economics questions and the one about philosophy.

By: Civic Quiz « Beware of Roaming

Civic Quiz « Beware of Roaming — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:01:50 +0000

[...] Civic Quiz People who were elected officials averaged a 44%, which is pretty sad. My 8th grade civics teacher will be proud of my 33 for 33 :). It’s a little heavy on the economics. Here’s the link. Here’s Balko. [...]

By: Lou Stone

Lou Stone — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:52:15 +0000

I scored perfect, but lucked out on the Plato/Socrates question. The quiz wasn’t really what I thought it was goint to be in parts. Puritan religious views are stretching a little bit if you ask me (an informed guess, but a guess nontheless).

I felt confindent on 30. Guessed on two and had a pretty good hunch on one. Not bad.

By: Wavemancali

Wavemancali — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:41:40 +0000

25/33

In my defense I’m a Canadian that didn’t take American civics classes. I think I’d do a bit better on a Canadian slanted equivalent.

Personally I would be pissed if someone I elected did not score at least as high as I did.

By: Rick Caldwell

Rick Caldwell — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:37:04 +0000

You don’t need a single morsel of history, civics, or philosophy to demagogue to the public. Take your choice: blame it on capitalism, or blame it on teh gay.

See? easy.

By: justin

justin — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:08:16 +0000

I got 30 and I’m from Canada.

By: Lance Creed

Lance Creed — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:03:57 +0000

32/33

Got number 27 wrong… I let my personal feelings about property rights and contracts cloud my thinking.

By: the friendly grizzly

the friendly grizzly — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:30:25 +0000

27 out of 33, not knowing what Douglass and Lincoln debated, and missed the Puritan one because of ham-fisted clicking.

I am 59 and college educated, reasonably well-read. And ashamed of myself.

By: paul

paul — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:17:43 +0000

28/33 and I’m not an american

By: TBoneJones

TBoneJones — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:23:53 +0000

It’s OK that they’re stupid as long as they’re PC, culturally sensitive, and promise not to uphold their oath to protect our Constitution.

By: thorn

thorn — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:32:28 +0000

Sorry – strike my second paragraph. The if/then was defined by the original question, therefore no proof is necessary.

By: thorn

thorn — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:29:40 +0000

Ogre,

Doesn’t your equation depend on the (incorrect) assumption that the govt’s policy is that each person receives an equal share of the federal spending?

In other words, you’ve said “So, if T=E, then:” … without proving that T does equal E.

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 04:47:11 +0000

30/33.

By: thomasblair

thomasblair — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 04:31:13 +0000

32/33

Missed #30. Governments have reacted in all sorts of ways. FDR responded by raising taxes and spending. Bush lowered taxes (this is debatable) and raised spending.