click on Scene at The Signing of the Constitution of the United States to enlargeOne of the common findings of institutions like Hillsdale College & the American Council of Trustees & Alumni (ACTA) is the woeful understanding the American citizenry has of the U.S. Constitution - this applies to recent college graduates, the general public, & our elected representatives.
There has been an "alarming loss of our historical literacy. Fewer than half of American college students could place the Civil War within the correct half century. More than a third of the general public cannot name any rights protected by the First Amendment. Nearly three-quarters of Americans can't name the three branches of government. Only 12% of high school students are scored "proficient" in American history." Source - Peter W. Wood - 1620 A Critical Response to the 1619 Project - pages 64 & 65.
ACTA's work revealed that less than one-third of the colleges & universities in the U.S., annually ranked as the country's best schools, require students pursuing a degree in history to take even a single course in American history. What are such students paying for? Wonder if they could name the two figures in the center of the above photo or the man standing on the platform on the right side?
We have gone beyond taking the Constitution for granted - we never even think of it anymore including not realizing that this week is the anniversary of the unanimous signing of the Constitution by our Founders @ the Constitutional Convention.
Even if you are not part of ACTA's surveys who think Judge Judy is on the Supreme Court, or are unable to identify the Bill of Rights accurately, or believe the Constitution must be reauthorized every four years you will find the following two quizzes a very good refresher.
Please let me know how you do. The answers follow the questions on each website.
I didn't do so well on the quizzes. I got a couple wrong on the first one and a couple wrong on the 2nd one. I could have sworn the requirement for a new amendment was ratification by 3/4 of the states, must have misunderstood that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sending it though....its always fun
The question about the fractions was indeed tricky. The first sentence of Article V says that it takes two thirds of both Houses to propose Amendments - that is the supermajority - & three quarters to ratify. The question was "what is required before a proposed Amendment can be approved" & it is the two thirds supermajority. We all have to brush up on this one.
DeleteI guess this is where my confusion came in:
DeleteCongress must call a convention for proposing amendments upon application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the states (i.e., 34 of 50 states). Amendments proposed by Congress or convention become valid only when ratified by the legislatures of, or conventions in, three-fourths of the states (i.e., 38 of 50 states).
The Constitution provides that an amendment may be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures.
Thanks for the clarification. But please remember there is only one Constitutional Convention & it was held in 1787. Article V specifies that the states can call a Convention for proposing Amendments. A great exchange on our glorious Constitution.
DeleteAlways fun. Got a 97% on the first one. Actually got 100% but for some reason they marked the 3/4ths of states one incorrect, even though it is what I answered.
ReplyDelete2nd one did not so good, 57.!% FAILURE LOL!!!
Got Ben Franklin wrong and one more I don't recall
Cheers!!
57 on the first, 27 on the second. They gave the right answers after each quiz.
ReplyDeleteI had a 91.7% in the first quiz, missing the question about a proposed amendment becoming part of the Constitution. On the 2nd quiz I got 42.9% missing 4 of 7. However, I learned a lot and feel grateful for the bravery and wisdom of our Founding Fathers and pray that somehow America can live within the limits of the Constitution which gave us liberty.
ReplyDeleteI got 83% on the first and 57% on the 2nd.
ReplyDeleteNot too bad on quiz 1 terrible on 2.
ReplyDeleteDoug, I got all right on the first quiz and I flunked the second as I got just 3 out of 7 correct. I am not one for paying attention to dates in history.
ReplyDelete