Politickles

The 22 statistics that you are about to read prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the middle class is being systematically wiped out of existence in America. – Business Insider

The trouble with democracies, Aristotle explained, is that their conceptions of justice are invariably limited ones: “In democracies, justice is considered to mean equality. It does mean equality – but equality for those who are equal, and not for all.” The vagueness of the term and the failure of its employers to apply it judiciously ensure that injustice will be done in the name of equality. Despite their weaknesses, however, democracies tend for one important reason to be a more stable form of government than oligarchies: because of “the character of their middle class, which is more numerous, and is allowed a larger share in the government, than it is in oligarchies. Where democracies have no middle class, and the poor are greatly superior in number,” Aristotle warns, “trouble ensues, and they are speedily ruined.” – “Wise Men Bearing Gifts,” F.R. Duplantier

Below are the questions from a midterm exam I prepared for a civics class for homeschooled teenagers. Every American voter should know the answers.

1. Name the three classes of citizens in Plato’s Republic.

2. According to Aristotle, what are the three proper forms of government?

3. What are the perverted forms called?

4. What is the difference between the good and bad forms?

5. What is the essence of Locke’s “social contract”?

6. Why does treason never prosper?

7. Cite one significant difference between the American & French Revolutions.

8. What historical event is commemorated by “World Freedom Day” (November 9^th) ?

9. Why is our government divided into three branches?

10. Name the three branches.

11. Which branch is mentioned first in the Constitution (Article I)?

12. What’s the minimum age for President?

13. How long is a Representative’s term?

14. True or False: The terms of all elected Representatives expire at the same time.

15. How many Representatives does each state have?

16. How long is a Senator’s term?

17. How were Senators originally chosen?

18. Which chamber of Congress has the power to impeach the President?

19. In which chamber do revenue bills originate?

20. Why does the Constitution distinguish between “raising” armies and “maintaining” a navy?

21. What was the fractional value of a slave in the antebellum census?

22. What incentive did this valuation offer?

23. Which presidential candidate won the popular vote in 2000?

24. Who’s more likely to become President, Sean Penn or Arnold Schwarzenegger?

25. How long does a Supreme Court Justice serve?

26. Cite three restrictions on suffrage.

27. Name the four freedoms protected by the First Amendment.

28. What is “double jeopardy”?

29. True or False: The federal government can exercise any power not expressly denied to it by the Constitution.

30. True or False: The Declaration asserts that “all men are equal.”

31: Which of the following men did not sign the Declaration: George Washington, John Adams, John Hancock, Ben Franklin?

32. Cite three infringements on the rights protected by the Bill of Rights.

Need to bone up a bit? Here’s a good place to start.