Are You Smarter Than an Elected Official?
- Posted on January 15, 2011 at 4:53pm by
Meredith Jessup
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When Republican leadership demanded the U.S. Constitution be read on the floor of the House of Representatives to kick off the 112th Congress, a number of members complained, dubbing the reverance for the founding document “propaganda.”
But a new study suggests elected officials need a refresher course of Constitution 101 more than ever. According to a survey by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, America’s elected officials actually tend to know even less about key provisions of the U.S. Constitution than the general public.
For the fifth-straight year, the ISI surveyed more than 30,000 Americans to test their knowledge of the Constitution. Elected officials who took the test scored on average 5 percentage points lower than the national average (49 percent vs. 54 percent). AOL News gives some example findings:
Only 49 percent of elected officials could name all three branches of government, compared with 50 percent of the general public.
Only 46 percent knew that Congress, not the president, has the power to declare war — 54 percent of the general public knows that.
Just 15 percent answered correctly that the phrase “wall of separation” appears in Thomas Jefferson’s letters — not in the U.S. Constitution — compared with 19 percent of the general public.
And only 57 percent of those who’ve held elective office know what the Electoral College does, while 66 percent of the public got that answer right. (Of elected officials, 20 percent thought the Electoral College was a school for “training those aspiring for higher political office.”)
Overall, our sample of elected officials averaged a failing 44 percent on the entire 33-question test, 5 percentage points lower than the national average of 49 percent.
Given these results, perhaps Congress should review the Constitution more often.
Take the test yourself – Are you smarter than the average elected official?
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Comments (245)
SheriS
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:37pmBeat our supposed leaders by quite a bit! They seem to believe the Prez discription of this extremely important paper as “pesky little piece of paper” that all elected officials swear to uphold and defend! During the reading in Congress people were wandering around talking to their friend and a bunch of seats were totally empty! Gues that shows what they feel about the reading of the Constitution instead of carefully listening!
Report Post »DMcPher316
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 2:26pmyeah…even with over 400 members, they could only get 50 to read it aloud? Part of the problem is that some of them can’t read, thats why they are in politics, you just have to take a good picture. But mostly it‘s because they don’t beleave in the constitution. I agree with whom ever posted it that part of RUNNING for public office should require a constitutional test. (an IQ test might be nice for some of them…(Al Franken))
Report Post »Cog
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:37pmWow! They should read the constitution in both houses of Congress until they can recite and discuss it. The test should be a snap for anybody who represents us.
Report Post »angelcat
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:36pmBefore my 5th graders could leave my classroom at the end of the year, they had to be able to answer all of those questions correctly so, I can truthfully say to the elected officials, “Are you smarter than a 5th grader?” The answer is obviously, “NO!” Each of those questions, though worded differently, was on the Constitution test I gave my 5th graders in a public school in a suburb of Houston. The officials who couldn’t answer the questions should be embarrassed.
Report Post »Bluebonnet
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 1:26pmDarn! I missed one, #6, it was Thomas Jefferson letters. Ten smacks with the cane for me. But, it is interesting how many of our Congress have no idea what our Constitution stands for. My mantra has always gone back to: ‘Give me liberty or give me death,’ and I truly feel this way.
Report Post »DagneyT
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:36pmThis is not only depressing, it is viscerally depressing! Appalling that they would think the electoral college was a school, and being a part of one of the branches, and not be able to name the three? Unbelievable!
Report Post »travlman77
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:33pmI am so embarrassed that our elected officials are so out of touch with us, our history, our heritage and most of all the constitution that they swear to up hold. There is no doubt in my mind that school children in China most probably have a better grasp of our constitution than these so called leaders we have elected.
Report Post »Ashrak
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:33pmAs Nancy Pelosi would say – “Are you serious?”
As most Americans all over the country said in November. “Yes, dear, we are.”
Report Post »TheRealElvis
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:31pmThe Electorate College U is a special university taught by David Copperfield for ALREADY ELECTED officials. Courses such as Campaign Funds 101, Campaign Promises, and Citizen Rights, are discussed and the most revealing methods of dealing with them are taught using the most advanced and modern shells, hats, and rabbit methods .
Report Post »TerriG
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:31pmThe answer to situation is very simple – take a Constitutional entrance exam. To run for an elected office that requires you to uphold the Constitution, you need to pass a standardized test on the Constitution to hold an elected office. Doctors need to pass medical exams. Lawyers need to pass legal exams. I don’t see why this is any different. Very simple and straightforward.
Report Post »HisStoryUn
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:46pmRight on!
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 7:00pmGreat Idea…………
Report Post »bry
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 9:07pmLOVE it!
Report Post »DMcPher316
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 2:20pmbut who would read it to them???
Report Post »suegirl
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:30pmHow sad …..
Report Post »jimenycricket
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:29pmWell, if you know the Constitution then you know that BHO is ineligible to be the President because he is not a Natural Born Citizen ( A citizen born of two citizens) . Read it, that’s why the founders had to make exceptions for themselves because their parents were not born here.
Section 8 – Powers of Congress
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations
Then you find the Law of Nations and it reads as follows:
THE
LAW OF NATIONS
BOOK I.
OF NATIONS CONSIDERED IN THEMSELVES.
CHAP. XIX.
OF OUR NATIVE COUNTRY, AND SEVERAL THINGS THAT RELATE TO IT.
§ 211. What is our country.
THE whole of the countries possessed by a nation and subject to its laws, forms, as we have already said, its territory, and is the common country of all the individuals of the nation. We have been obliged to anticipate the definition of the term, native country (§ 122), because our subject led us to treat of the love of our country — a virtue so excellent and so necessary in a state. Supposing, then, this definition already known, it remains that we should explain several things that have a relation to this subject, and answer the questions that naturally arise from it.
§ 212. Citizens and natives.
The citizens are the members of the civil society; bound to this society by certain duties, and subject to its authority, they equally participate in its advantages. The natives, or natural-born citizens, are those born in the country, of parents who are citizens. As the society cannot exist and perpetuate itself otherwise than by the children of the citizens, those children naturally follow the condition of their fathers, and succeed to all their rights. The society is supposed to desire this, in consequence of what it owes to its own preservation; and it is presumed, as matter of course, that each citizen, on entering into society, reserves to his children the right of becoming members of it. The country of the fathers is therefore that of the children; and these become true citizens merely by their tacit consent. We shall soon see whether, on their coming to the years of discretion, they may renounce their right, and what they owe to the society in which they were born. I say, that, in order to be of the country, it is necessary that a person be born of a father who is a citizen; for, if he is born there of a foreigner, it will be only the place of his birth, and not his country.
So why do they keep harping about where he was born, it doesn’t matter He still is not a Natural born citizen. Now you know, what will you do with the information?
Report Post »NUTN2SAY
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:57pmI compliment you on your courage! You are right! I myself along with others have been trying for almost two years now to educate people on this subject and those people are either too damn stupid or are anti-American Obama supporters! There are people who want to have a civil discourse about Natural Born Citizen and how Obama fails to qualify as one and it’s impossible to get the matter on the table for discussion! The stupid people of America don’t even in the slightest way comprehend the danger this says about America having a renegade anti-Constitutional government on their hands. Thier freedoms are in a state of jeopardy and they don’t know it! Just think about it, just to have a want to discuss Article 2 Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution and the government is denying and depriving American Citizens of the Constitutional Right to communicate with their own government! Glenn Beck is aware of this as well as all the other pundits and instead of educating the American People about this Constitutional Crime….they aid and abet the ILLEGAL PRESIDENT! This is very dangerous stuff and people need to wise up and put a stop to it. WE ARE ALL BEING PLAYED FOR FOOLS!
Report Post »Liberal Joe
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 7:07pmBirthers are funny.
Report Post »bry
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 8:50pm@liberaljoe
You are even funnier. Those comments are not from birthers, but rather posted by someone who understands the rule of law. *passes joe some pepto*
Report Post »scout n ambush
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 3:33amAlso why would Barrack spend millions on lawyers to keep fighting court cases to keep from showing the birth long form certificate ask yourself why waste the millions of dollars when you could just show the documents and keep the money.
Report Post »jocko
Posted on January 17, 2011 at 4:41pmSorry, but they are interpreting the 14th amendment (I believe that is the right number) to make anyone born in the US a citizen – whether or not their parents are citizens. That is why all of the CRIMINAL INVADERS are trying so hard to get their pregnant bellies over the border in time to have their babies here.
Now whether or not BO was born here has yet to be shown. All we have is the word of a couple of democrat bureaucrats that he has an authentic birth certificate.
Report Post »jackact
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:27pmMost citizens are twice as smart as Joe Biden.
Report Post »Even with public school educations.
Enuff Zenuff
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:27pmI’d like to see a psychological study on the mindset of people who run for office – there’s too much of a pattern of thinking they know more than ther rest of us when the opposite is more generally true as this article points out. Perhaps is we voters had a better idea of what our choices are we could choose better candidates. The few people I‘ve met who told me they wanted to run for political office were people I wouldn’t let groom my dog, while the people I‘d love to see run for office because of their integrity tell me they wouldn’t do it for anything – mainly because of the press. Maybe the lesson is that the more someone wants political office – the more we need to dis-trust them and look for someone we can draft onto position.
Report Post »Race
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 6:58pmTotal agreement. I wouldn’t elect most of these clowns as my local dog catcher.
Report Post »MozarkDawg
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:24pmIn a word, yes — may I choose which elected offical, since the title here suggests only one?
Report Post »marklross
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:23pmWhat ever happened to civics?
Report Post »cykonas
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 6:33pmProgressivism in public education happened.
Report Post »mrclean
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 7:06pmCivics and the Constitution WAS 9th grade stuff back in the 60s.
Sure am dating myself here :-)
Report Post »EP46
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:23pmOne question left out…
HOW MANY CAN READ AND WRITE
Report Post »psycodad36
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:23pmand they think the American people are stupid??
Report Post »RECOVERING-LIBERAL-IN-WOODSIDE-CA
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:29pmWe must be stupid because we voted for them… we get another chance in two years. We had better not blow it… otherwise we will prove that we deserve the government we have.
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:58pmI have seen many interviews with people in the street who do not even know the name of the president. More common, around half cannot name their state governor and the vast majority cannot name even one of their state’s US Senators…
As non-sequitur points out, this is not necessary an indication of “intelligence” but it does show a total ignorance of our government. In the case of an elected official this is totally unacceptable.
Report Post »mpsnknox
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:22pm10 out of 10! WOO HOO!
Report Post »davecoolworld
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 4:34pmAll Americans should be able to score 100%. Our lives depend on it.
Report Post »RECOVERING-LIBERAL-IN-WOODSIDE-CA
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:21pmHeaven help us…. Maybe we should make it mandatory that our members of Congress take a crash course about our Constitution, including reading “The 5000 Year Leap,” before they taake office.
Report Post »Race
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:30pmAdd to Constitution 101 the REAL Bill of Rights and mandatory psychological evaluations for those over 60. You can’t tell me Pelosi is sane.
Report Post »APatriotFirst
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:30pmtook test, got 80% right. Not bad for an oldie
Report Post »RECOVERING-LIBERAL-IN-WOODSIDE-CA
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:36pmGreat idea, but why should psych evaluations be for those over 60 only? ALL office holders should be evaluated. Psychological problems know no age limit.
Report Post »DAGNY
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 7:29pmWhat changed in your thinking to make you now a ‘recovering liberal’? It‘s always good to hear what’s working!
Report Post »highcarry
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 9:56pmto race. wait til you reach 60 and see if you still feel that way.
Report Post »SoCalWalt
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:21pmKinda knew that, didn’t we?!
Report Post »Non-sequitur
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:21pm“Knowing more about the US Constitution” = “Being smarter than”.
Report Post »Towerman
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:20pm20 percent thought the Electoral College was a school for “training those aspiring for higher political office.” Pfffhhh – and did they have a basketball team?
Report Post »booger71
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 6:18pmyes, the baboons
Report Post »APEXIdaho
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 6:25pmThat is why they don’t read the bills they are to busy looking for the classes that they think they are to attend.
Report Post »jordy 2010
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:20pmWhat kind of member of Congress would be so communistic as to call the reading of the Constitution ”propaganda”????? The names of these nutsacks should be made public for the whole US to know who they are
Report Post »theclerk
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:19pmIs this surprising?
Report Post »CatB
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:37pmNo but it is sad .. those were very easy questions.
Report Post »drsissy
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:16pmI’ve taken that test before…..and, yes, I am.
Report Post »Sledgehammer
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 7:02pmD. This is what our public education and “universities” have come to except as a standard of excellance, We have our work cut out for us! Prepare to turn to!
Report Post »RobertCA
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 7:54pmThey should be on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno “ Jay walking ”
Report Post »rtlane28
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:13pmI don’t care about the Constitution” …..that should be their motto….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbUuXu9_X_s
Report Post »Xcori8r
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:20pmI have dust mites smarter than most elected officials.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:31pmTook the test .. 100% correct … I am smarter than “average” elected official.
Report Post »cnsrvtvj
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:33pmI can’t believe that only 49% of elected officials could name all three branches of government. That’s an amazing statistic. I know these folks aren’t always the sharpest knife in the drawer, but you think they would know their chosen field a little better than that.
http://www.donsmithshow.com – See the Sharpton vs. Limbaugh video.
Report Post »ovrwlmd
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:44pmWonder how many who swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States said to themselves ….. “The what?”
Report Post »101
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:52pm.
Report Post »Congress should have to pass a reading & comprehension course minimum requirements 2000 pages in 24 hours!
trolltrainer
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 5:52pm100% but then again, my 9 year old also scored a 100%. Yeah…He is homeschooled…
Report Post »Ellie
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 6:30pmWhoo Hoo! I got 100% as well.
I’d love to compare these results between the 8/28 and the 10/2 crowds. My guess is that it would have been about 80/20 (among those at 10/2 who recognized the Constitution as having anything to do with our government).
Report Post »gopsnativeson
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 6:38pmThey dont know the constitution that they take an oath to uphold, protect & defend.
What they do know of the constitution, they dont agree with & have an outright anomosity towards.
Is it any wonder that this country is on the verge of collapse.
And all the republicans who have gone along with this in the name of “compromise” are as guilty as all the libs & progressives. Bush sr, Bush Jr, Snow, Collins, McCain et al
Ronaldus Magnus knew this & did what he could to strengthen the american people.
We as americans & voters have let him down & all who have gone before him, & we let our children down by allowing these people to remain in office.
Report Post »byehlik
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 6:59pmThat test is soooooo elementry. We are in deep crap here. I aced it no problem, what the He!! is everyone elses problem?
Report Post »avenger
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 7:14pmnot surprising at all, the progressives took over in early 1900′s.the damage cannot be measured.election of 2008 is a great example….
Report Post »bry
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 7:18pmThat is not the complete test. The complete test has 33 questions on it. Those first 10 questions are very easy. I will be back with a link.
Report Post »bry
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 7:21pmHere is a link to the complete test. Let us know how you do…I know it will be much better than average, considering the quality people here ;)
http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/resources/quiz.aspx
Report Post »bry
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 7:25pmMy link was posted, then deleted. Sorry if that was wrong of me. Anyway, most here still would have done better then the politicians.
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 7:48pmI missed questions 8 and 33. My gut instinct was to choose the right answer for 8 but I second guessed myself…
Report Post »bry
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 7:54pm@RTLANE, yes…I missed a couple by guessing wrong, and #33 is bogus. I think it was #30 that had wording problems, But you did fantastic! No surprise tho!
Report Post »sing it out
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 8:00pm@Bry
Report Post »You’re right, the first one was easy – I made a 100. The full-length test was a bit more difficult; I made a B, which is not too bad for a teenager! Thanks for posting the link.
Showtime
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 8:11pm@CATB –
Report Post »I, too, made a 100 on it. But then, I read it frequently because I have a copy of it on my desk.
bry
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 8:37pm@sing it out (love that sn) Great job! Proud of you!
Report Post »godlovinmom
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 8:39pmdidn’t read the article but seeing some of our elected officials lately…I think I am!
Report Post »byehlik
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 8:50pmOK, so I scored %78.79. Not as smart as I thought I was. Although some of those questions had zero to do with the constitution. But, that’s just me.
Report Post »GrannyATL
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 9:01pmVery little shocks me these days, but in my wildest dreams I never thought the majority wouldn’t know the three branches of government! We’re is worse shape than we thought.
How in the world can they swear to uphold and DEFEND the Constitution if they don’t know what it says?
I say that Bachman’s “Constitution 101” classes need to be MANDATORY for all Congressmen AND Senators.
Shameful. Absolutely shameful!
Report Post »bry
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 9:03pm@byehlik
Great job, you still beat the average. Plus, it is really a civics test, not just about the Constitution.
Report Post »1TrueOne55
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 9:31pmNot reading all posts so this could be redundant. But it would be nice to know what percentage of the public 49% had a college degree or not…versus the elected elite.
Report Post »Cemoto78
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 9:33pmThis test should be given to all the D.C. clowns and their names and scores should be posted in the New York Times and all over Fox news.
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 9:45pmIt is a hard test…the full length one. I guessed at a few of those questions and the only reason I did that good was because Beck has influenced me into “waking up” and reading about the founders and the government. Also, reading his books has helped a lot on the economy. 3 years ago I would not have done nearly so well.
As far as college degrees go, I make a response to that on page two of this thread. Even though I am currently studying for my second Masters degree, an M. Div., I have a theory that for most people the more school they attend the more common sense they lose…Some of the smartest people I have ever talked with were on construction sites…
Report Post »highcarry
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 9:52pmto byehlik. i scored 78.79 also. i bet we missed the same ones. okay, i don’t know my socrates.
Report Post »GrannyATL
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 9:59pmI got an 85%. Am I the only one that thinks the answer to question #30 is wrong??
It says: Which of the following fiscal policy combinations would a government most likely follow to stimulate economic activity when the economy is in a severe recession?
A. increasing both taxes and spending
B. increasing taxes and decreasing spending
C. decreasing taxes and increasing spending
D. decreasing both taxes and spending
I answered D. They say the correct answer is C. What am I missing??? You can’t spend your way out of a recession. At least that‘s what I’ve always been led to believe!
trolltrainer
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 10:10pmgrannyatl,
Do not confuse recession for debt! You want the government to spend more to get people working and the economy kick started, at least that is the theory. It is only natural that you will create more debt during the recession as your purpose is to get the economy back.
Report Post »7HAM
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 10:36pmI got 100% on the short test and 87% on the long test. I agree that some of the questions on the long test had little to do with the Constitution. It‘s a sad state of affairs when elected officials don’t even know the document they pledge to uphold and defend.
Report Post »Xcori8r
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 10:40pmInteresting, I got 84.something and missed that one, too. In retrospect, the typical response for a severe recession by government is to increase spending to stimulate the economy while decreasing taxes. They recognize that incurring debt may be necessary (as it likely is during war time). Most of us here would want to see spending reduced too. Harding did that after WWI to fight a recession and ended up with the roaring 20’s. America has never been in so precarious a position as we are now and I sure think that the insane spending is in the process of producing dire results.
Report Post »Echad
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 11:01pmTook the 33 question test and missed 2 that gave me a 93.94%. One question #30 i got wrong but I have no doubt they are wrong on that one. you can not spend your way out of a recession.
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 1:18amI got 90% (with two guesses) on the linked ten question test and I am a New Zealander. Probably the 35 question test is harder but it still strikes me as odd that your representatives do so poorly.
Report Post »Ryan Beaulieu
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 2:07amI guess you could go one of two ways in the political office, you could not know the Constitution or you could be a Constitutional lawyer such as Obama and just disagree with this “charter of negative liberties”.
Our government is a friggen joke.
Report Post »Beej13
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 3:51amAs Glenn always says, “Context is everything!” This was NOT an exam administered to sitting members of the U. S. House or Senate. It was simply an exercise designed to sample the general civics knowledge of 2,508 random participants…less than 1% of whom offered the additional information that they have held elected office at the local, state or federal level at some point in their lifetime. The author on the ACL web site was perfectly clear on that point. Ms. Jessup was not…in turn, misleading readers into thinking that sitting members of Congress were somehow involved in this study. They weren’t. Is that a case of sloppy editing or an agenda? Likewise, the 10-question sample quiz was cherry-picked for dramatic effect. The actual 33-question exam requires a bit more knowledge and critical thinking. If you just stopped with the sample quiz, you’re not getting an accurate sense of the full exam. In reality, the 164 respondents who have “held elected office at some point in their lives” did not score remarkably better or worse than the general public on those ten questions. Sadly, both groups are woefully ignorant…which explains a lot, actually.
Report Post »quiet little lamb
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 5:57amI missed 5 and 7. I iwish i could see which people missed what. although, i do have faith in the people from my state. Easily the most made fun of state when it comes to literacy and race relations(well maybe not that anymore), but we do have good people in office….I HOPE
Report Post »Jackers
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 7:10amSo our elected officials don’t know any more about our Constitution than they did about that 2,700-page “Health Care” bill they signed into law…
How on earth can you swear to uphold the Constitution when you don‘t even know what’s in the Constitution? The only thing most of our members of Congress “uphold” is their never-ending quest to stay in power and roll in the public dole…
Report Post »StonyBurk
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 8:56amSeems to recollect at least one mere politician has said just that. “I Don’t care about the Constitution.” I took the ten questions offered and didn’t have to guess on any of them still scored ten out of ten.
Report Post »But then I am not an attorney -nor a politician.
Cobra Blue
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 9:34amPolitician does not equal intelligence. We need to stop thinking just because these people are in thr seats of power they have a leg up on us in the brain power categaory. Most are vacant of any common sense, consistent moral character or basic business and/or financial acumen. More times than not what they have they married, or inherited it, or it was given to them by lobbyist for their performance (really compromise) on pieces of legislation. The representatives in Washington NO LONGER represent the people. Its the PEOPLE’s House, but it has been taken over by SQUATTERS……
Report Post »kennyg933
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 9:46amIn the Pelosi-Reed era, you can’t expect the legislature to actually READ the questions before voting on them. Besides, dumbed down products of modern public education probably give themsleves an ‘A’ based on a generous curve.
Report Post »VegasGuy
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 11:42amAdd me as another 100%’er.
Report Post »Samurai
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 12:11pm@Grannyatl
In terms of free-market economics, you were correct to answer d) lower taxes & lower spending, but the question was qualified as “what would governments MOST LIKELY do.”
Since almost all governments around the world are Keynesian, they lower taxes and increase spending, so “C” was the correct answer. Unfortunately, they should cut spending, too.
So you are correct in your economic philosophy, but, wrong, unfortunately, given political realities…
I took the long test and aced it.
Report Post »KICKILLEGALSOUT
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 12:39pmAm I smarter than a brainwashed Socialist puppet? Yes.
Report Post »MHP
Posted on January 16, 2011 at 10:41pm@Bry @Snow
I got 81.82%
Here’s what I missed
I dumped on the economics LOL
Answers to Your Missed Questions:
Question #4 – B. Would slavery be allowed to expand to new territories?
Report Post »Question #7 – D. Gettysburg Address
Question #8 – C. appoint additional Supreme Court justices who shared his views
Question #14 – B. stressed the sinfulness of all humanity
Question #27 – A. the price system utilizes more local knowledge of means and ends
Question #30 – C. decreasing taxes and increasing spending
click4cheapandeasyweb
Posted on January 17, 2011 at 12:29amAre you smarter than the average elected official?
Yes. I have common sense, so that puts me waaay ahead of most politicians.
Report Post »SingerGuy
Posted on January 17, 2011 at 9:13amI missed four questions for an 87.88% score:
Answers to Your Missed Questions:
Question #26 – C. revenue minus expenses (I had B – assets minus liabilities)
Question #29 – B. a resident can benefit from it without directly paying for it (I had D – insurance companies can’t afford…)
Question #30 – C. decreasing taxes and increasing spending (put me in with those who think you need to also decrease spending)
Question #33 – D. tax per person equals government spending per person (I had A, didn‘t think this one through well enough or I’d have answered D.)
Sadly, most of the answers I got right were instantly obvious to me. It‘s sad that so many people didn’t pass this test. We’re in trouble!
Report Post »e7705
Posted on January 17, 2011 at 9:36amNine out of ten here.
Report Post »Ray from Maple
Posted on January 19, 2011 at 7:05amI got a 2/10. I eat a lot of lead paint.
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