American Civic Literacy Test

Re: American Civil Literacy Test

AdamZ said:
How so?
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It claims to be a civics review yet goes into several question about economics. Just an FYI nowhere in the any of the US founding documents is there a mention of capitalism as the sole means of economic policy of the USA. So in that regard the quiz makers themselves show themselves to be A: Partisan or B: not very knowledgeable on civics and US history.

There is also at least one and maybe two question that are straight opinions of a certain political party that was recently voted out of power in the two of the three branches of government.

The ISI itself has been accused of having an extremely right wing conservative bias. They publish lists of books that should be censored as being too liberal. They have stated goals to add conservative viewpoints to schools newspapers, and have published books by leading conservatives throughout this country. Their mission statement reads as a Conservative manifesto and they issue awards, called Campus Outrage Awards, for faculty that they deem "too liberal".
 
Ok Fair nuf. I did like the Lincoln Douglas debate question though.

Actually probably one of the best civic's quizes is Lenos Jay Walk All Stars
 
I missed 3 (90%)
One was the Lincoln Debate

There were some good possibilities like:

27) Free markets typically secure more economic prosperity than government’s centralized planning because:
E. government planners are too cautious in spending taxpayers’ money
 
Areeda said:
I missed 3 (90%)
One was the Lincoln Debate
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Same here. I also missed President Roosevelt's response to the New Deal being declared unconstitutional and the impact of Anti-Federalists.
 
Have a look sometime at the U.S. citizenship exam. My husband is English and I helped him study. I honestly couldn't have answered all the questions without a good refresher. It seems to me our legal immigrants know more about our democracy and history than we do.
 
75% I believe some of the economics questions at the end were opinion rather than fact.
 
82%. Agreed as to some of the economic issues.
 
63% -- and I expected it to be worse. Government, and politics in general just have never been of interest to me (although it should).
 
I got a 84.85%. Questions missed:
7) What was the source of the following phrase: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”?
I answered Declaration of independence.

8) In 1935 and 1936 the Supreme Court declared that important parts of the New Deal were unconstitutional. President Roosevelt responded by threatening to:
I answered eliminate the Supreme Court.

13) Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas would concur that:
I guessed and was wrong. Who cares.

14) The Puritans:
I guessed were Catholic missionaries. I still think that is true.

33) If taxes equal government spending, then:
I'm just retarded, I should have known the answer to that one.


Now, as for being biased? There were 2 questions in there that I saw that you could see that way, but you'd really have to be stretching your imagination to think that. I assume you are all talking about the economic stuff, but that is economics 101, and cutting taxes/increasing spending is how it is supposed to work, regardless of political affiliation....I have 3 years of economic text books to back that up.
 
85% (5 questions wrong). I'm Canadian, and have never studied US history. Does this mean the test is biased for or against me?

Chris
 
I answered 32 out of 33 correctly — 96.97 %
The Question I missed:
7) What was the source of the following phrase: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”?
D. Gettysburg Address
I picked "Declaration of Independance"

The test was OK, but I saw the bias for some of the questions.
 
Missed one, because I just couldn't follow their convoluted description of the free market system: "the price system utilizes more local knowledge of means and ends."

I can't get too upset about the "bias." It's not like they were shoving school prayer down my throat.
 
I missed question 33 only. I guess I shoulda read it a bit more closely. The quiz did seem to be biased more to a small government almost libertarian point of view, which is more or less in line with the organization that published the quiz.
 
I missed one and that was due to misreading the question (actually the answers). I did cheat a little though and got lucky on a couple guesses.
 
economics 101, and cutting taxes/increasing spending is how it is supposed to work, regardless of political affiliation....I have 3 years of economic text books to back that up.__________________ThAT is three yrs of capitalist inspired economics... the only type taught in the western world. DaveR
 
You answered 33 out of 33 correctly — 100.00 %
Average score for this quiz during September: 74.5%
Average score: 74.5%






(Maybe it helps I'm on the ISI mailing list)

:rolleyes2:
 
dmccormack said:
You answered 33 out of 33 correctly — 100.00 %
Average score for this quiz during September: 74.5%
Average score: 74.5%






(Maybe it helps I'm on the ISI mailing list)

:rolleyes2:
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WE HAVE A WINNER!! The POA Good Citizen Award!!!!!!:thumbsup::cheerswine:
 
Re: American Civil Literacy Test

jesse said:
63% -- and I expected it to be worse. Government, and politics in general just have never been of interest to me (although it should).
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Just hang around Spin Zone. You'll be left with all you need to know... ;)

Everskyward said:
Same here. I also missed President Roosevelt's response to the New Deal being declared unconstitutional and the impact of Anti-Federalists.
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Mari, the first one was even brought up here in Spin Zone..... :cheerswine:

smigaldi said:
ahyup sure does. Seems to equate one sort of view with the right view of the country.
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Does the phrase "to a dog, everything looks like a fire hydrant", ring a bell... :rolleyes2:;):D
 
You answered 30 out of 33 correctly — 90.91 %

Question #7 - D. Gettysburg Address
Question #14 - B. stressed the sinfulness of all humanity
Question #33 - D. tax per person equals government spending per person

7 and 33 I should've gotten. 14 not a chance.

For the Anti-Federalist and philosopher questions, I can thank my PoliSci professors :D
 
You answered 26 out of 33 correctly — 78.79 %

Average score for this quiz during September: 74.6%
Average score: 74.6%
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Like above, the quiz showed its bias toward the middle and end.
 
dmccormack said:
I also listen to various leftie stuff on NPR.

:thumbsup:
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That is a telling statement right there. NPR is neither lefty or righty. Probably the most down the middle of any of the networks. But it has been demonized by a group that want to see it go away for two reasons. one that they will not carry the extreme views of one party and two they just hate spending money on anything but corporate welfare.
 
Re: American Civil Literacy Test

smigaldi said:
There seems to be a fairly large consensus that the a certain view was being presented.
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And the political makeup of that consensus and the sample population?
 
smigaldi said:
That is a telling statement right there. NPR is neither lefty or righty. Probably the most down the middle of any of the networks. But it has been demonized by a group that want to see it go away for two reasons. one that they will not carry the extreme views of one party and two they just hate spending money on anything but corporate welfare.
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Oh yes, NPR is pure as the driven snow, as objective as they come.

:thumbsup:
 
smigaldi said:
That is a telling statement right there. NPR is neither lefty or righty. Probably the most down the middle of any of the networks. But it has been demonized by a group that want to see it go away for two reasons. one that they will not carry the extreme views of one party and two they just hate spending money on anything but corporate welfare.
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I oppose NPR because its a waste of tax dollars - there's plenty of commercial radio stations around that do just fine without getting my income to run.

I don't care what they broadcast (although, your description of it being down the center is telling as it is most certainly left leaning), I just want them to fund themselves.
 
NPR is very left leaning and its a conflict of interest that they use tax dollars to promote a liberal agenda.
 
Why DO we have PBS and NPR???

I don't give a poop where they are on the political spectrum. In this day and age of zillions of tv and radio stations, public broadcasting makes zero sense.
 
Re: American Civil Literacy Test

wsuffa said:
And the political makeup of that consensus and the sample population?
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Well as can be seen, almost all of the people on PoA that bothered to respond. We know from SZ that there is a wide range of views from each direction on political spectrum form some of the people quoted here.

Bob Noel said:
A number of those questions don't appear to have much to do with history or institutions.
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steingar said:
Does seem a bit biased, ahyup.
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smigaldi said:
ahyup sure does. Seems to equate one sort of view with the right view of the country.
Click to expand...

smigaldi said:
It claims to be a civics review yet goes into several question about economics. Just an FYI nowhere in the any of the US founding documents is there a mention of capitalism as the sole means of economic policy of the USA. So in that regard the quiz makers themselves show themselves to be A: Partisan or B: not very knowledgeable on civics and US history.

There is also at least one and maybe two question that are straight opinions of a certain political party that was recently voted out of power in the two of the three branches of government.

The ISI itself has been accused of having an extremely right wing conservative bias. They publish lists of books that should be censored as being too liberal. They have stated goals to add conservative viewpoints to schools newspapers, and have published books by leading conservatives throughout this country. Their mission statement reads as a Conservative manifesto and they issue awards, called Campus Outrage Awards, for faculty that they deem "too liberal".
Click to expand...

Everskyward said:
Agree. Especially the questions toward the end.
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EdFred said:
75% I believe some of the economics questions at the end were opinion rather than fact.
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SCCutler said:
82%. Agreed as to some of the economic issues.
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Ddayle said:
missed 3 #10, 27 & 33... not a totally unbiased quiz. DaveR
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SkyHog said:
I got a 84.85%. Questions missed:
7) What was the source of the following phrase: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”?
I answered Declaration of independence.

8) In 1935 and 1936 the Supreme Court declared that important parts of the New Deal were unconstitutional. President Roosevelt responded by threatening to:
I answered eliminate the Supreme Court.

13) Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas would concur that:
I guessed and was wrong. Who cares.

14) The Puritans:
I guessed were Catholic missionaries. I still think that is true.

33) If taxes equal government spending, then:
I'm just retarded, I should have known the answer to that one.


Now, as for being biased? There were 2 questions in there that I saw that you could see that way, but you'd really have to be stretching your imagination to think that. I assume you are all talking about the economic stuff, but that is economics 101, and cutting taxes/increasing spending is how it is supposed to work, regardless of political affiliation....I have 3 years of economic text books to back that up.
Click to expand...

mcjon77 said:
I answered 32 out of 33 correctly — 96.97 %
The Question I missed:
7) What was the source of the following phrase: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”?
D. Gettysburg Address
I picked "Declaration of Independance"

The test was OK, but I saw the bias for some of the questions.
Click to expand...

flyersfan31 said:
Missed one, because I just couldn't follow their convoluted description of the free market system: "the price system utilizes more local knowledge of means and ends."

I can't get too upset about the "bias." It's not like they were shoving school prayer down my throat.
Click to expand...

vontresc said:
I missed question 33 only. I guess I shoulda read it a bit more closely. The quiz did seem to be biased more to a small government almost libertarian point of view, which is more or less in line with the organization that published the quiz.
Click to expand...
 
SkyHog said:
I oppose NPR because its a waste of tax dollars - there's plenty of commercial radio stations around that do just fine without getting my income to run.

I don't care what they broadcast (although, your description of it being down the center is telling as it is most certainly left leaning), I just want them to fund themselves.
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It's more than that, Nick.

My objection to public radio is that it 1) receives special privileges from the Federal government (starting with a spectrum set-aside from 88. MHz to 91.9 MHz, and continuing to grants and subsidies) and 2) it uses those to compete with private industry. Commercial broadcasting, on the other hand, pays much, much higher license fees and for new stations (in recent years) has had to win those licenses at auction.

My view has nothing to do with political leaning - many religous broadcasters have chartered themselves as "non profit" radio/TV stations and get some of the same benefits (lower license fees, etc) as NPR affiliates. These days, the truly educational outlets (which was the original charter) are few and far between.
 
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