Civics Quiz

[Stunt]

26/33 - US history killed me...
(Canadian here)

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
29 out of 33. Missed the Gettysburg address question, the Puritans (was torn between the right answer and religious freedom)The FDR Supreme Court question and the tax question. Not bad.

Yeah, I missed those first two as well as the Anti-Federalist on and the Douglas one. Got the FDR one but hey, haven't cracked a civics book in 30 years... so really not bad ! :thumbsup:

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Question #11 - A. their arguments helped lead to the adoption of the Bill of Rights <-- Uhh what? Did they use "anti-federalist" to mean "federalist"?

Question #29 - B. a resident can benefit from it without directly paying for it <-- My reasoning was that you do directly pay... Does direct payment mean you go to the contractor who builds the levee and gives him a few dollars from your wallet? That's why I said "A. citizens value it as much as bread and medicine" assuming that bread and medicine represent products on the free market that your tax dollars could buy instead.

11 - Federalists were in favor of the Constitution as is (no Bill of Rights, because they felt it was implicitly included). The Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution on the grounds it lacked a Bill of Rights.

29 - A public good - you're not directly paying for it. Sure, you pay taxes, but you're not going out and highering the contractor yourself. In the past, a public good might have been a rich person paying to have a wall built around the city. The citizens wouldn't pay for it, but they would benefit from the protection the wall offered. I wouldn't say A is a good answer because it assumes that the utility you get from whatever dollars you spend is equal, which is definitely not the case.

 

[extra]

31. yay. I R da smart. Or maybe I just paid attention...

 

[Deliximus]

Canadian here. The Puritan one GOT ME!!! i guess on a couple more but ended up right.

They should let us know who fucked up the test - these leaders that America has.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Gonad the Barbarian
25. Some of the historical questions I just didn't know. I don't understand how #33 can't be A as well. When income equals spending, debt equals zero. You could make an argument for C too.

I thought about that and the technicality is that if income = spending, then you're not incurring additional debt, but prior debt may still exist.

FWIW, I got it wrong too since answer "C" didn't state that average tax per person equaled average spending per person. Even if net tax revenue equals net spending, it's still possible for someone in a high tax bracket to pay more in taxes than he or she receives from the Government and vice versa for someone in a low tax bracket. Essentially, I over-thought the question.

ZV

 

[IronWing]

32, missed Gettysburg.

A couple of the economics questions aren't civics, they are capitalist/globalist propaganda.

 

[Jeff7]

27/33

4 - Debates between Lincoln and Stephen Douglass. Stephen Douglass is not a familiar name.
8 - Parts of the New Deal were ruled unconstitutional. Guessed.
9 - Rights of the federal government. Make treaties.....I thought that's the one I picked.
12 - Abortion. I didn't think that "most" restrictions were struck down with Roe V Wade.
13 - Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas. How is this question even relevant?
14 - Puritans. I gave them too much credit, and said that they were escaping persecution. Nope, apparently they were the sort who encouraged people to be good by telling them how wicked and sinful they are. :roll:

 

[cwjerome]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
27/33


13 - Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas. How is this question even relevant?

Because certain philosophic ideas are the genesis and backbone of western civilization. That's all...

 

[datalink7]

29/30

 

[IronWing]

Originally posted by: datalink7
29/30

Well if that's how we're keeping score I got 32/30; extra credit FTW!!

 

[Ozoned]

6

 

[AstroManLuca]

31/33. Missed #30 and #33. And I'm lucky I read the Gettysburg Address just a couple weeks ago or I would have gotten that one wrong too.

 

[owensdj]

I missed the last one #33, but it seems like there could be two correct answers. "If taxes equal government spending, then" I said "A. government debt is zero," but the correct answer was "D. tax per person equals government spending per person." It seems like both are correct.

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: retrospooty

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil
At least we know the reason people elected BHO now.

Um... I believe you are horribly mistaken. The stupid people elected Bush twice. Most of them voted for McCain this time.

then again, your just a troll, so spreading FUD is why your here.

Exactly. I'm wondering what FNE's other account is myself.

 

[Pacemaker]

Originally posted by: owensdj
I missed the last one #33, but it seems like there could be two correct answers. "If taxes equal government spending, then" I said "A. government debt is zero," but the correct answer was "D. tax per person equals government spending per person." It seems like both are correct.

A) Could be correct if the debt was 0 at the start of the year. However, if the debt was 1 dollar then it would still be 1 dollar after that year. Because in multiple choice you always select the "Most" correct answer D is the correct response.

 

[jonks]

Originally posted by: Pacemaker

Originally posted by: owensdj
I missed the last one #33, but it seems like there could be two correct answers. "If taxes equal government spending, then" I said "A. government debt is zero," but the correct answer was "D. tax per person equals government spending per person." It seems like both are correct.

A) Could be correct if the debt was 0 at the start of the year. However, if the debt was 1 dollar then it would still be 1 dollar after that year. Because in multiple choice you always select the "Most" correct answer D is the correct response.

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Gonad the Barbarian
25. Some of the historical questions I just didn't know. I don't understand how #33 can't be A as well. When income equals spending, debt equals zero. You could make an argument for C too.

I thought about that and the technicality is that if income = spending, then you're not incurring additional debt, but prior debt may still exist.

FWIW, I got it wrong too since answer "C" didn't state that average tax per person equaled average spending per person. Even if net tax revenue equals net spending, it's still possible for someone in a high tax bracket to pay more in taxes than he or she receives from the Government and vice versa for someone in a low tax bracket. Essentially, I over-thought the question.

ZV

Wasn't (A) merely attempting to "trick" you since DEBT != DEFICIT?

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: jonks

Wasn't (A) merely attempting to "trick" you since DEBT != DEFICIT?

No, the national debt is not the same as a deficit. A deficit occurs when expenditures exceed income. The opposite of a deficit is a surplus. That's when revenues exceed expenditures.

The national debt is essentially the mother of all deficits. It is the total amount we are indebted for money borrowed in the form of bonds, T bills and other loans to the government.

If we ever get to the point where we not only eliminate the national debt, but exceed that goal, maybe we could call it the national credit.

 

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: jonks

Wasn't (A) merely attempting to "trick" you since DEBT != DEFICIT?

No, the national debt is not the same as a deficit. A deficit occurs when expenditures exceed income. The opposite of a deficit is a surplus. That's when revenues exceed expenditures.

The national debt is essentially the mother of all deficits. It is the total amount we are indebted for money borrowed in the form of bonds, T bills and other loans to the government.

If we ever get to the point where we not only eliminate the national debt, but exceed that goal, maybe we could call it the national credit.

On that question, I assumed they meant if spending = tax from the start, you'd have no debt because you'd never run a deficit. Obviously I know what the difference is but the question fooled me.

 

[jonks]

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: jonks

Wasn't (A) merely attempting to "trick" you since DEBT != DEFICIT?

No, the national debt is not the same as a deficit. A deficit occurs when expenditures exceed income. The opposite of a deficit is a surplus. That's when revenues exceed expenditures.

The national debt is essentially the mother of all deficits. It is the total amount we are indebted for money borrowed in the form of bonds, T bills and other loans to the government.

I understand that (!= means 'not equal to'), what I meant was wouldn't (A) be correct if it had substituted DEFICIT for DEBT? i.e.:

"If taxes equal government spending, then (A) government deficit is zero.

Correct? Given the Nat'l Debt is how much the gov't owes to creditors, taxing/spending should have no direct impact on the debt. If taxes exceed gov't spending, you have a surplus (not deficit), but the nat'l debt is still unaffected.

 

[Xecuter]

29

 

[Perknose]

33 Yay me.

But yeah, more than one question was worded awkwardly. I am truly surprised so many Americans here missed the Gettysburg address. It's short, and one of the most beautifully written political speeches ever . . . "shall not perish from the earth." Don't they expose school kids to it anymore? Kinda ditto with Lincoln/Douglas. Those debates are an integral part of our history.

Question 33: As correctly pointed out by many, debt is cumulative. And "per person" means average, or if A/C = B/C, then A=B, as one poster put it.

The one about "a public good", a levee, is also awkwardly worded. I think the weasel word in the correct answer was "directly" pay for, iirc. --But the person who answered "valued like bread and medecine" doesn't understand multiple choice tests, for one thing -- the hokey wording of that answer is a dead giveaway, even if you don't know the correct answer.

Multiple choice questions are candy ass, though. The one caveat is they usually try to make one wrong answer close enough that the careless check it and move on.

I'd like to take you guys on irl with a proctored non multiple choice test. That would separate the men from the boys.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: cwjerome

Originally posted by: Jeff7
27/33


13 - Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas. How is this question even relevant?

Because certain philosophic ideas are the genesis and backbone of western civilization. That's all...

Yup, it's called the Western tradition, and why our founding fathers, who were steeped in it, could confidently (and eloquently) write, "We hold these truths to be self-evident . . . "

 

[RichardE]

30

 

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: Perknose
33 Yay me.

But yeah, more than one question was worded awkwardly. I am truly surprised so many Americans here missed the Gettysburg address. It's short, and one of the most beautifully written political speeches ever . . . "shall not perish from the earth." Don't they expose school kids to it anymore? Kinda ditto with Lincoln/Douglas. Those debates are an integral part of our history.

Question 33: As correctly pointed out by many, debt is cumulative. And "per person" means average, or if A/C = B/C, then A=B, as one poster put it.

The one about "a public good", a levee, is also awkwardly worded. I think the weasel word in the correct answer was "directly" pay for, iirc. --But the person who answered "valued like bread and medecine" doesn't understand multiple choice tests, for one thing -- the hokey wording of that answer is a dead giveaway, even if you don't know the correct answer.

Multiple choice questions are candy ass, though. The one caveat is they usually try to make one wrong answer close enough that the careless check it and move on.

I'd like to take you guys on irl with a proctored non multiple choice test. That would separate the men from the boys.

I understand multiple choice tests and the wording being a giveaway, but I thought that this right-wing organization was trying to trick me into picking the most right wrong answer.