Voters Should Pass A Minimal Civics Test
By Doug Patton
August 11, 2008
I have never been an advocate of the popular notion that "everyone should vote." Some people look at me as if I am somehow un-American when I say that I am not in favor of encouraging people to vote who would otherwise never darken the door of a polling place. I really don't want someone on the streets of Hollywood, who just failed to identify the vice president of the United States on one of Jay Leno's "Jay-Walking" segments, helping to select the person who will lead my government for the next four years.
So here is a basic, common-sense test that every American wishing to exercise the right to vote should answer (I'm sure in this dumbed-down era in which we live we will have to come up with multiple choice answers to make it easier, but here are some preliminary questions):
- Name the three branches of the federal government.
- Name the current president and vice president of the United States.
- How long have they served?
- How long are the president and vice president allowed to serve?
- How many members are there in the U.S. House of Representatives?
- How are House Members chosen?
- How long is their term in office?
- How long are they allowed to serve?
- Name the current speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
- Which party currently holds the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives?
- How many members are there in the U.S. Senate?
- How are U.S. Senators normally chosen?
- How long is a U.S. Senator's term in office?
- How long are they allowed to serve?
- Name the current majority leader of the U.S. Senate.
- Which party currently holds the majority in the U.S. Senate?
- How many individuals currently sit on the United States Supreme Court?
- Name three of them.
- How are members of the U.S. Supreme Court selected?
- How long can Supreme Court Justices serve?
- What is an electoral vote?
- How many electoral votes are currently required in order to elect the president and vice president?
- How is the president selected if he/she fails to receive the required number of electoral votes?
- How is the vice president selected if he/she fails to receive the required number of electoral votes?
- What is an executive order?
- How is an amendment to the U.S. Constitution passed?
- How many constitutional conventions has the United States had?
If a potential voter could not answer at least 18 of these questions (two-thirds), he/she should not be allowed to vote. How did you do? Need to study up? Answers are below:
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