Next Question
Mahalo is adding a tip to all questions that don't offer a tip.
M$1.00 Funded By Mahalo ? |
March 06, 2009 01:47 AM
RSS
Earlier today I listed voting as my most cherish liberty because it can and will affect all our other liberties, so...
People take a test to have the right to drive so they don't harm themselves or others.
Improperly prepared voters can hurt themselves or others.
No matter your political leanings, you have to admit we watch people vote on looks, religion, race, smooth speech, home state, political party only or other equally wrong reasons.
I think it would have to be more about how goverment works today and recent history, not trivial pursuit questions.
People vote for people not knowing what the actual position they will fill actually entails. They don't always know what branch of government it is for. In general, we have many undereducated folks making decisions for all of us.
We have watched for years with this year being an exception voting decline, so it would difficult and costly to someone. There would be lower turnout if they had to jump through too many hoops.
I'd hate to see democracy become run by an elite group of people who could afford to pay for the test or people who do understand but have test panic or disability left out.
Education is the answer. It could be implemented at the high school level or to get a drivers license. America is falling down on the job of preparing young adults to be responsible voters.
Permalink | Report
Permalink | Report
Even now, every election there are complaints about efforts to make it hard for people to register to vote.
Who would in reality get disenfranchised from a move like that? Probably people like the following...
- People who feel their vote doesn't make a difference anyway
- People who didn't get a good education
- People who don't understand what could some up, and how to cram
On the other hand, what does it prove if you do pass the test? That you can memorise the answers to a 100 questions.
Last of all what kind of message does it send out to other countries? Do you want to tell all those Afghan women that never had a chance to learn to read that they don't deserve a say in how their country is run?
So I think this is one those things that might sound good on paper, but in the real world, would only turn out badly.
Permalink | Report
Sadly, I suspect that most of the people I work with would have trouble getting half of them.
To make this test useful for voting restrictions would require changing the focus from rote memorization to understanding of concepts (like where the money comes from to pay for programs) - which would make the test even more subjective, and even more vulnerable to abuse.
You know, I'd very much like to see the Congress and Cabinet take this test on a spur-of-the-moment basis - I really wonder how many of the would pass. I have a bit more confidence in the education of the Supreme Court...I think they'd do just fine.
Permalink | Report
I love the idea, but we live in a democracy and if people meet the few requirements we have for voting, then they have a right to vote.
Permalink | Report
Answered Question
Mahalo is adding a tip to all questions that don't offer a tip.
Do you think that we should require voters to take the citizenship test? Do you think you could pass?
(This would replace the age restrictions.)
(In the citizenship test, TEN questions are chosen at random from this list, and 60% is passing. You also need to write a sentence in English that the test administrator says to you, and read a sentence in English out loud given to you by the administrator.)
(Also, if you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident for 20 years, you only have to study the questions marked with an *.)
1. What is the supreme law of the land?
2. What does the Constitution do?
3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
4. What is an amendment?
5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
*6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?
8. What did the Declaration of Independence do?
9. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
10. What is freedom of religion?
*11. What is the economic system in the United States?
12. What is the "rule of law"?
*13. Name one branch or part of the government.
14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
16. Who makes federal laws?
*17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
18. How many U.S. Senators are there?
19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
*20. Who is one of your state's U.S. Senators?
21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
22. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
23. Name your U.S. Representative.
24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
25. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
26. We elect a President for how many years?
*27. In what month do we vote for President?
*28. What is the name of the President of the United States now?
29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
30. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
31. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
32. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
33. Who signs bills to become laws?
34. Who vetoes bills?
35. What does the President's Cabinet do?
36. What are two Cabinet-level positions?
37. What does the judicial branch do?
38. What is the highest court in the United States?
39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States?
41. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
43. Who is the Governor of your state?
*44. What is the capital of your state?
*45. What are the two major political parties in the United States?
46. What is the political party of the President now?
47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
*49. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
50. What are two rights only for United States citizens?
51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
53. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
*54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
*56. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
57. When must all men register for the Selective Service?
58. What is one reason colonists came to America?
59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
61. Why did the colonists fight the British?
62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
64. There were 13 original states. Name three.
65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
66. When was the Constitution written?
67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
68. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
69. Who is the "Father of Our Country"?
*70. Who was the first President?
71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
*75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?
76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
77. What did Susan B. Anthony do?
*78. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
79. Who was President during World War I?
80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
81. Who did the United States fight in World War II?
82. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
83. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
*85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?
86. What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States?
87. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
89. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
90. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
91. Name one U.S. territory.
92. Name one state that borders Canada.
93. Name one state that borders Mexico.
*94. What is the capital of the United States?
*95. Where is the Statue of Liberty?
96. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
*97. Why does the flag have 50 stars?
98. What is the name of the national anthem?
*99. When do we celebrate Independence Day?
100. Name two national U.S. holidays.
(In the citizenship test, TEN questions are chosen at random from this list, and 60% is passing. You also need to write a sentence in English that the test administrator says to you, and read a sentence in English out loud given to you by the administrator.)
(Also, if you are 65 or older and have been a legal permanent resident for 20 years, you only have to study the questions marked with an *.)
1. What is the supreme law of the land?
2. What does the Constitution do?
3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
4. What is an amendment?
5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
*6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?
8. What did the Declaration of Independence do?
9. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
10. What is freedom of religion?
*11. What is the economic system in the United States?
12. What is the "rule of law"?
*13. Name one branch or part of the government.
14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
16. Who makes federal laws?
*17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
18. How many U.S. Senators are there?
19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
*20. Who is one of your state's U.S. Senators?
21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
22. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
23. Name your U.S. Representative.
24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
25. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
26. We elect a President for how many years?
*27. In what month do we vote for President?
*28. What is the name of the President of the United States now?
29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
30. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
31. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
32. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
33. Who signs bills to become laws?
34. Who vetoes bills?
35. What does the President's Cabinet do?
36. What are two Cabinet-level positions?
37. What does the judicial branch do?
38. What is the highest court in the United States?
39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States?
41. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
43. Who is the Governor of your state?
*44. What is the capital of your state?
*45. What are the two major political parties in the United States?
46. What is the political party of the President now?
47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
*49. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
50. What are two rights only for United States citizens?
51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
53. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
*54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
*56. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
57. When must all men register for the Selective Service?
58. What is one reason colonists came to America?
59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
61. Why did the colonists fight the British?
62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
64. There were 13 original states. Name three.
65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
66. When was the Constitution written?
67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
68. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
69. Who is the "Father of Our Country"?
*70. Who was the first President?
71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
*75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?
76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
77. What did Susan B. Anthony do?
*78. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
79. Who was President during World War I?
80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
81. Who did the United States fight in World War II?
82. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
83. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
*85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?
86. What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States?
87. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
89. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
90. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
91. Name one U.S. territory.
92. Name one state that borders Canada.
93. Name one state that borders Mexico.
*94. What is the capital of the United States?
*95. Where is the Statue of Liberty?
96. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
*97. Why does the flag have 50 stars?
98. What is the name of the national anthem?
*99. When do we celebrate Independence Day?
100. Name two national U.S. holidays.
Interesting Question?
Yes (0)
No (0)
RSS
Best Answer Chosen by Asker
| March 06, 2009 04:44 AM |
People take a test to have the right to drive so they don't harm themselves or others.
Improperly prepared voters can hurt themselves or others.
No matter your political leanings, you have to admit we watch people vote on looks, religion, race, smooth speech, home state, political party only or other equally wrong reasons.
I think it would have to be more about how goverment works today and recent history, not trivial pursuit questions.
People vote for people not knowing what the actual position they will fill actually entails. They don't always know what branch of government it is for. In general, we have many undereducated folks making decisions for all of us.
We have watched for years with this year being an exception voting decline, so it would difficult and costly to someone. There would be lower turnout if they had to jump through too many hoops.
I'd hate to see democracy become run by an elite group of people who could afford to pay for the test or people who do understand but have test panic or disability left out.
Education is the answer. It could be implemented at the high school level or to get a drivers license. America is falling down on the job of preparing young adults to be responsible voters.
| Asker's Rating: |
Permalink | Report
Reply
Other Answers (6)
March 06, 2009 02:22 AM
I do think that we should use this test to decide whether people can vote, because it would certainly narrow the voters down to the rather smart ones. Unfortunately, that would probably be the minority of people in the U.S. (sadly), so this wouldn't fly with a lot of people, and the idea wouldn't be put into use.
Permalink | Report
Reply
March 06, 2009 02:27 AM
I'm not sure you would be selecting the smart ones, just the ones who know those answers and it doesn't really mean they understand why they are voting.
Now an I.Q. test... wouldn't work either.
Report
Now an I.Q. test... wouldn't work either.
March 06, 2009 02:34 AM
It's an interesting idea. But the fact is whenever there have been any kind of tests of voter capability, like being able to read and write, they've generally been abused to stop some group from being able to vote. Even now, every election there are complaints about efforts to make it hard for people to register to vote.
Who would in reality get disenfranchised from a move like that? Probably people like the following...
- People who feel their vote doesn't make a difference anyway
- People who didn't get a good education
- People who don't understand what could some up, and how to cram
On the other hand, what does it prove if you do pass the test? That you can memorise the answers to a 100 questions.
Last of all what kind of message does it send out to other countries? Do you want to tell all those Afghan women that never had a chance to learn to read that they don't deserve a say in how their country is run?
So I think this is one those things that might sound good on paper, but in the real world, would only turn out badly.
Permalink | Report
Reply
March 06, 2009 02:42 AM
Wow, I hadn't realized just how easy the questions were. I would want to bone up a little - it's been a long time since high school, after all - but I could certainly answer 82 of them right now, without looking anything up. Five minutes of research prior to the test would remind me of a few names and amendment numbers I've momentarily forgotten, and push me into the 90s, making it much tougher to pick 10 that would trip me up. An hour or two to find out just what they're looking for on some of the more ambiguous questions would let me max it out. Sadly, I suspect that most of the people I work with would have trouble getting half of them.
To make this test useful for voting restrictions would require changing the focus from rote memorization to understanding of concepts (like where the money comes from to pay for programs) - which would make the test even more subjective, and even more vulnerable to abuse.
You know, I'd very much like to see the Congress and Cabinet take this test on a spur-of-the-moment basis - I really wonder how many of the would pass. I have a bit more confidence in the education of the Supreme Court...I think they'd do just fine.
Permalink | Report
Reply
March 09, 2009 03:21 AM
This is a question that has been tested, in a sense. The Jim crow laws is a term used to refer to laws that came out of the civil war to stop African Americans from being able to vote in the south. These tests were specifically set up for this reason. No matter what you think now, if any plan such as this were to come up, it'd be struck down instantly. I love the idea, but we live in a democracy and if people meet the few requirements we have for voting, then they have a right to vote.
Permalink | Report
Reply
Answer this Question
Related Questions
Do you prefer using a traditional "Merry Christmas" greeting, or the more secular "Ha...
If you could have gotten away with it, would you have crashed the White House state d...
What are your picks for week 13 in the NFL?
Where are the people located on the second time you meet them? For their second missi...
If you could have gotten away with it, would you have crashed the White House state d...
What are your picks for week 13 in the NFL?
Where are the people located on the second time you meet them? For their second missi...
Ask a Question
Buy Mahalo Dollars with Credit Card or PayPal
Top Members
Most Popular Tags
Categories
- Anonymous
-
Arts & Design
-
Beauty & Style
-
Books & Authors
-
Business
-
Cars & Transportation
-
Consumer Electronics
- Coupons Deals
-
Education
-
Entertainment
-
Environment
-
Fitness
-
Food & Drink
- From Email
- From Iphone
- From Twitter
-
Health
-
History
-
Hobbies
-
Home & Garden
-
How Tos
-
Humor
-
Jobs
-
Legal
-
Local
-
Love & Relationships
-
Mahalo Answers Community
-
Money
-
Music
-
News
-
NSFW
-
Parenting
-
Pets
-
Science & Mathematics
-
Services
-
Shopping
-
Social Science
-
Society & Culture
-
Sports
-
Technology & Internet
-
Travel
-
Video Games
Welcome New Members
- henrydawkins89, December 01, 2009 12:49 PM
- yasinomar, December 01, 2009 12:42 PM
- xhtmlcssexpert, December 01, 2009 12:34 PM
- fb_1168541621, December 01, 2009 12:11 PM
- bobby66, December 01, 2009 12:06 PM
Mahalo Dollars are the currency of Mahalo Answers.
Each Mahalo Dollar costs $1.
Once you earn more than 40 Mahalo Dollars, you can request to be paid via PayPal. Each Mahalo Dollar is currently worth $0.75 when paid out via PayPal. Learn More
You just have to know this stuff.