Gawfer

If required, could You Pass a voter’s Civic Test?

Some have suggested that a minimum standard of understanding should be required to vote in our national elections. I’m not sure it would affect the outcome either way, but it would make the results of an election more representative of the educated class (which should be anyone who graduated high school).

I do believe it is very important that ‘We the People’ have a working knowledge of our government, thereby making our government more transparent and accountable to ‘We the People’.

Here’s a proposed voter’s certification test. 18 correct answers out of 27 (2/3’s)  would earn you a voter certification card, and allow you to vote in national elections.

1. Name the three branches of the federal government.

2. Name the current president and vice president of the United States.

3. How long have they served?

4. How long are the president and vice president allowed to serve?

5. How many members are there in the U.S. House of Representatives?

6. How are House Members chosen?

7. How long is their term in office?

8. How long are they allowed to serve?

8. Name the current speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

10. Which party currently holds the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives?

11. How many members are there in the U.S. Senate?

12. How are U.S. Senators normally chosen?

13. How long is a U.S. Senator’s term in office?

14. How long are they allowed to serve?

15. Name the current majority leader of the U.S. Senate.

16. Which party currently holds the majority in the U.S. Senate?

17. How many individuals currently sit on the United States Supreme Court?

18. Name three of them.

19. How are members of the U.S. Supreme Court selected?

20. How long can Supreme Court Justices serve?

21. What is an electoral vote?

22. How many electoral votes are currently required in order to elect the president and vice president?

23. How is the president selected if he/she fails to receive the required number of electoral votes?

24. How is the vice president selected if he/she fails to receive the required number of electoral votes?

25. What is an executive order?

26. How is an amendment to the U.S. Constitution passed?

27. How many constitutional conventions has the United States had?

Answers:

1. Executive, Legislative, Judicial;

2. George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney;

3. Since January 20, 2001;

4. Two four-year terms (or no more than ten years if serving the remainder of a previous term);

5. 435;

6. By popular vote within their state congressional district;

7. Two years;

8. No limit;

9. Nancy Pelosi;

10. Democrat;

11. 100 [two from each state];

12. By statewide popular vote within their state;

13. Six years;

14. No limit;

15. Harry Reid;

16. Democrat;

17. Nine;

18. the nine [in no particular order] are: John Roberts, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, David Souter, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, John Paul Stevens, Samuel Alito and Anthony Kennedy;

19. Nominated by the president, approved by a simple majority of the U.S. Senate;

20. Life;

21. Each state receives one electoral vote for each member of its congressional delegation;

22. 270;

23. By a vote of the U.S. House of Representatives;

24. By a vote of the U.S. Senate;

25. a presidential decree requiring no congressional approval;

26. By a vote of two-thirds of the congress and three-fourths of the state legislatures or through a constitutional convention;

27. One