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02-09-2012, 08:25 PM
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#21
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Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 22,971
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bestwifeever
Did anyone else think some of the questions were worded like a push poll?
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Yes they were.
__________________
Living an analog life in the Digital Age.
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02-09-2012, 08:26 PM
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#22
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gumby
Yes they were.
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+1
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Numbers is hard
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02-09-2012, 08:37 PM
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#23
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 1,688
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27/33 - not great but acceptable for someone who is not from the US
__________________
Budgeting is a skill practised by people who are bad at politics.
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02-09-2012, 08:44 PM
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#24
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Administrator
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: N. Yorkshire
Posts: 34,054
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gumby
Brilliant! You are entitled to some leeway in these matters.
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Thanks, I don't suppose I would do any better on a UK civics test.
__________________
Retired in Jan, 2010 at 55, moved to England in May 2016
Enough private pension and SS income to cover all needs
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02-09-2012, 09:17 PM
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#25
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 927
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The link has been going around in emails for awhile. We had already taken the test. I got 30 of 33. DW has taught HS American Government in the recent past. She got 31 of 33 and said the two questions she missed were wrong. She found good (at least it looked good to me) documentation to support her arguements. Whenever I get anything like this in an email I question the accuracy of the editorializing and the motives of whomever started the email. The test seemed pretty easy to me (40+ years since I sat in a Civics class). I have a hard time believing that college professors did so poorly on the test. What I can believe is that a whole bunch of people have flunked out of college and do not like college professors.
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02-09-2012, 09:19 PM
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#26
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,819
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bestwifeever
Dang you guys are smart!
Did anyone else think some of the questions were worded like a push poll?
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A couple of the 'free market' ones struck me that way, though I agreed with them, but it should be presented more neutrally. Or did you mean others?
29/33. One I really should have got, too embarrassed to mention which one.
I can understand others missing the Lincoln-Douglass debate one, being from IL I've got a bit more exposure, so I knew the answer was a bit different from what many people might assume. I'd bet most people's ideas about the "Emancipation Proclamation" are off-kilter as well.
But then I screwed up the 'of/by/for the people' - knew a few it wasn't, but I needed a 50-50 life-line. Doh! I might have to turn in my IL plates!
And I tend to lump all those amendments together, I really don't recall which rights are which amendment. FWIW, I don't think that captures the 'spirit' of civic knowledge, that's moving towards trivia. One should score well on the concepts of what our rights are, the number/order is less important IMO. I guess you could say that about a lot of the questions, but if you know the answer, it's no big deal
What I find more fascinating is that that some of those had to be amendments!
I hemmed and hawed over the 'public good' question - I sorta don't agree with their answer, but it's a bit squishy.
But average scores of 49% are a little frightening, as are lower scores by those in office. But who knows, I could go on, claim to be President, or a Supreme Court judge, and then try to do poorly. Can't really trust a self-selected group like that.
Also, did anyone else notice they Capitalized "Supreme Court" and "United Nations", but "president" was not? That seemed odd to me.
-ERD50
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02-09-2012, 09:54 PM
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#27
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,682
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I got 30 of 33 correct. The only ones I missed were the ones about the Puritans, the one about Socrates, and the one weird one about free markets. Several others were tough and I took an educated guess and got them right.
Pretty scary at how low some of the others were correctly answered, either by citizens or elected officials. Same for overall percentages of correct answers. I agree with push-poll bias in some of the questions.
__________________
Retired in late 2008 at age 45. Cashed in company stock, bought a lot of shares in a big bond fund and am living nicely off its dividends. IRA, SS, and a pension await me at age 60 and later. No kids, no debts.
"I want my money working for me instead of me working for my money!"
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02-09-2012, 10:02 PM
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#28
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Boise
Posts: 7,865
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33/33 but I was not sure of my answers on maybe 3 or 4.
2Cor521
__________________
"At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough, and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events, may in fact be the first steps of a journey." Violet Baudelaire.
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02-09-2012, 10:09 PM
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#29
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Portland
Posts: 4,946
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
A perfect score is remarkable.
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I think it means that we both spent way too much time "feeding the Elephant's Child". :-)
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02-09-2012, 10:58 PM
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#30
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,856
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
Showoffs.
I think anyone getting in the upper 20's should be commended. Most of us do not have much exposure to this information once we get beyond our school years. A perfect score is remarkable.
29 here.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jclarksnakes
The link has been going around in emails for awhile. We had already taken the test. I got 30 of 33. DW has taught HS American Government in the recent past. She got 31 of 33 and said the two questions she missed were wrong. She found good (at least it looked good to me) documentation to support her arguements. Whenever I get anything like this in an email I question the accuracy of the editorializing and the motives of whomever started the email. The test seemed pretty easy to me (40+ years since I sat in a Civics class). I have a hard time believing that college professors did so poorly on the test. What I can believe is that a whole bunch of people have flunked out of college and do not like college professors.
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29/33, but I demand a recount.
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
Yeah, but what if the government spends the money on foreign aid? Different people paying the taxes and different people receiving the revenue doesn't imply that tax per person equals spending per person...
__________________
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Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."
I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
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02-10-2012, 04:47 AM
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#31
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,584
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bestwifeever
Dang you guys are smart!
Did anyone else think some of the questions were worded like a push poll?
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Yes.
The results make it seem some forum members paid attention during high school. I am not part of that group. I do like the way REW uses his own score to set the bar for good vs excellent.
As for Alan, my experience with expats is, as a group, they have far better knowledge of US civics than a comparable group of US born, raised and schooled. This is very good fortune for the US.
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02-10-2012, 05:29 AM
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#32
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
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The opportunity to make myself look good doesn't come along all that often so I jumped all over this one.
__________________
Numbers is hard
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02-10-2012, 06:06 AM
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#33
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Lawn chair in Texas
Posts: 14,183
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Though it might be a stretch to expect citizens to remember the particulars of all the amendments, or even the Bill of Rights, the firtst and second amendments in particular, and maybe the fifth and tenth as well, get enough coverage in the popular press to warrant some public awareness.
What amuses me is when people rant about following "The Constitution" and "The Bill of Rights", as if they were seperate documents...
__________________
Have Funds, Will Retire
...not doing anything of true substance...
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02-10-2012, 06:45 AM
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#34
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,682
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One thing I liked about the quiz is how it differentiated between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Too many people, including politicians, seem to confuse the two (often intentionally, it seems) when trying to support their positions.
__________________
Retired in late 2008 at age 45. Cashed in company stock, bought a lot of shares in a big bond fund and am living nicely off its dividends. IRA, SS, and a pension await me at age 60 and later. No kids, no debts.
"I want my money working for me instead of me working for my money!"
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02-10-2012, 06:55 AM
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#35
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,584
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It is not at all a surprise that forum members score substantially higher than average or even college educators.
Quote:
Are you more knowledgeable than the average citizen? The average score for all 2,508 Americans taking the following test was 49%; college educators scored 55%. Can you do better? Questions were drawn from past ISI surveys, as well as other nationally recognized exams.
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02-10-2012, 06:58 AM
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#36
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,299
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29/33. Oh well, we all have an off day.
I haven't take a philosophy class since 1970 so I missed the one on Socrates, et al.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
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02-10-2012, 07:13 AM
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#37
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: west bloomfield MI
Posts: 2,223
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Quote:
Question: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas would concur that:
Your Answer: all moral and political truth is relative to one’s time and place
Correct Answer: certain permanent moral and political truths are accessible to human reason
Question: Free markets typically secure more economic prosperity than government’s centralized planning because:
Your Answer: property rights and contracts are best enforced by the market system
Correct Answer: the price system utilizes more local knowledge of means and ends
Question: What was the source of the following phrase: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”?
Your Answer: U.S. Constitution
Correct Answer: Gettysburg Address
Question: The Puritans:
Your Answer: were Catholic missionaries escaping religious persecution
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
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28 of 33
I need to read all the answers before picking the right one...
__________________
Light travels faster than sound. That is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. One person's stupidity is another person's job security.
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02-10-2012, 07:15 AM
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#38
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: west bloomfield MI
Posts: 2,223
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jclarksnakes
The link has been going around in emails for awhile. We had already taken the test. I got 30 of 33. DW has taught HS American Government in the recent past. She got 31 of 33 and said the two questions she missed were wrong. She found good (at least it looked good to me) documentation to support her arguements. Whenever I get anything like this in an email I question the accuracy of the editorializing and the motives of whomever started the email. The test seemed pretty easy to me (40+ years since I sat in a Civics class). I have a hard time believing that college professors did so poorly on the test. What I can believe is that a whole bunch of people have flunked out of college and do not like college professors.
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How many of those college professors attended high school in the USA?
__________________
Light travels faster than sound. That is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. One person's stupidity is another person's job security.
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02-10-2012, 07:23 AM
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#39
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,682
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"Question: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas would concur that:
Your Answer: all moral and political truth is relative to one’s time and place
Correct Answer: certain permanent moral and political truths are accessible to human reason
Question: Free markets typically secure more economic prosperity than government’s centralized planning because:
Your Answer: property rights and contracts are best enforced by the market system
Correct Answer: the price system utilizes more local knowledge of means and ends
Question: What was the source of the following phrase: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”?
Your Answer: U.S. Constitution
Correct Answer: Gettysburg Address
Question: The Puritans:
Your Answer: were Catholic missionaries escaping religious persecution
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"
jIMOh, the three questions I got wrong were among the 5 you got wrong. And I answered the same wrong answers you did. I had no chance on the first two, but on the Puritans one I was mentally flipping a coin between what I chose and the right answer. The Gettysburg one was tough, it sounded more like it was from a speech than from a document.
__________________
Retired in late 2008 at age 45. Cashed in company stock, bought a lot of shares in a big bond fund and am living nicely off its dividends. IRA, SS, and a pension await me at age 60 and later. No kids, no debts.
"I want my money working for me instead of me working for my money!"
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02-10-2012, 07:31 AM
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#40
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: North Scottsdale
Posts: 1,545
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27/33....with a few outright guesses.
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FIRE'D in July 2009 at 51...Never look back!
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