Monday, November 24, 2008
Test your civics knowledge
Take the test. You will probably do better than most elected officials (don't worry, most of them were probably on school boards).
Addendum: Those of you who think the test has a conservative agenda are right.
Addendum: Those of you who think the test has a conservative agenda are right.
Comments:
Links to this post:
<< Home
Are you trying to slam school board members, Eric, or was your post just badly stated?
I got 30 out of 33, you beat me! (and no, I'm not on the school board)
I got 30 out of 33, you beat me! (and no, I'm not on the school board)
# posted by 
: Mon Nov 24, 10:16:00 AM
: Mon Nov 24, 10:16:00 AM
I was trying to make a joke about the large number of elected officials who got fewer than half of the answers right. I guess to make it more clear I could have said "don't worry, they were probably just in positions in charge of your childrens' education." Or something like that.
Anyway, some of my best friends are school board members. They even live in my neighborhood and I don't object.
Anyway, some of my best friends are school board members. They even live in my neighborhood and I don't object.
The quiz is a product of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, whose first president was William F Buckley. Founded in 1953 by Buckley "mentor" Frank Chodorov, its board and staff sounds like the group from National Review. Not that that makes the quiz itself suspect out-of-hand, but...
# posted by : Mon Nov 24, 05:10:00 PM
: Mon Nov 24, 05:10:00 PM
OOPS. Hit the Publish button too soon. The conservative slant mentioned above seems most obvious in questions about capitalism, economics and taxes. Not everyone would agree with the published answers, and some might argue there are "correct" answers not offered as choices at all.
# posted by : Mon Nov 24, 05:21:00 PM
: Mon Nov 24, 05:21:00 PM
Yeah, I felt that way with the "increased productivity" question. I wasn't sure what "specialization" meant, but I could interpret the answer from the emphasis. They're obviously trying to trip liberals up on the questions about what's actually expressly stated in the first amendment, what Lincoln and Stevens debated about, what Plato and St. Thomas Aquinas stood for, etc.
Eric wrote, "Yeah, I felt that way with the "increased productivity" question. I wasn't sure what "specialization" meant, but I could interpret the answer from the emphasis.".
Question 31, maybe? That was one that made me think there might be an agenda at work there.
I answered it wrong. Wasn't sure what they were asking.
Question 31, maybe? That was one that made me think there might be an agenda at work there.
I answered it wrong. Wasn't sure what they were asking.
31 of 33 too and yes he test has biases but it is generally fair.
# posted by : Mon Nov 24, 07:23:00 PM
: Mon Nov 24, 07:23:00 PM
It's not that it's "unfair." The point is that recognizing the bias helps you get the right answers, skewing the test for those who recognize the agenda.
I got four out of five. I didn't have time to finish the test.
Also they should have had a box with a bubble to write in your own answer. I don't agree with the answers that they provided. You'd think that an Ameican citizen should have the right to chose their own answer.
What kind of and idiot makes up these tests anyway?
Post a Comment
Also they should have had a box with a bubble to write in your own answer. I don't agree with the answers that they provided. You'd think that an Ameican citizen should have the right to chose their own answer.
What kind of and idiot makes up these tests anyway?
Links to this post:
<< Home
