Testing your civics knowledge this Fourth of July weekend
To celebrate the Fourth of July and the first anniversary of the 1 for All First Amendment campaign initiated by the American Society of News Editors and its partners, the First Amendment Center has teamed up with USA Today to create the Great First Amendment Quiz. The 20 online questions test your “Freedom IQ.”
It’s a nifty little quiz. I’ll admit, I got 16 questions right, which, the site then told me, is better than the average American. Take the quiz and report back here—be honest—how well you did.
In recent years, to celebrate Independence Day, we’ve reprinted the entire Declaration of Independence. It has gotten a few appreciative comments from readers.
This year, however, instead of that reprint, we’ll pose a quiz similar to the “Freedom IO” one mentioned above. It will include 30 of the 100 possible questions that the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service poses when someone wants to become a U.S. citizen. The person gets 10 of those possible 100 questions in an oral exam and must answer six of those 10 right to pass the civics portion of the test.
Check out our package Sunday, take the quiz, and then likewise report back here on how well you did on that exam, as well.
Thanks for reading, and have a happy and safe holiday.
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or gpeck@gazettextra.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook
Jul 6, 2011 at 2:17 a.m.
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I got 19 of 20 correct. One that I did get correct, admittedly was a total guess. The one about who said: "free speech rocks". I know pretty much nothing about celebrity-pop culture, and just guessed Oprah was the only one witted and intelligent enough to say something like that compared to the other clowns they listed (lady gaga, ext).
The one I got wrong, I have no regrets what so ever about. It was the question of: when the bill of rights were passed? I knew it was approximately 10+ years after the Revolutionary War ended (after the failed era of Articles of Confederacy governmnet). I selected 1789, and I believe the correct answer was 1792. It was obviously between those two dates. To me that question is EXACTLY what is wrong with education today. It preaches FAR to much on names and dates, and NOT the actual SUBSTANCE behind the dates. As long as you have a GENERAL idea of when the event happened (within a few years), who cares about the actual precise date. Far more should be taught about the actual MEANING, and EVENTS of the date.
Far to little is actually TAUGHT any more, and instead teaching has just become a memorization of dates, and people, in many cases.
Jul 4, 2011 at 1:07 a.m.
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Another note: "Congress shall make no law" is a far cry from "Employers shall make no policy". Protection from prosecution is not the same as protection from being fired. You CAN be fired for exercising your right to free speech. You just cannot be prosecuted for it.
Jul 4, 2011 at 12:57 a.m.
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Burning the flag in protest IS, in fact, against the law.
4 USC "No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America"
Burning the flag IS disrespect of the flag, no matter what the Supreme Court says. Therefore burning the flag is against a still-written law. Also stated as in the full paragraph below: "The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing."
Since when is it lawful to burn a living thing?
On the topic of the flag; It is also against the law for sports teams (i.e., San Diego Padres) to wear a flag patch, as they are not by definition a patriotic organization.
4 USC.8(j) "No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart."
Equally disrespectful of our flag under the same law are the athletes who drape themselves with the flag after winning (typically international) sporting events.
No matter how proud one is of this great nation and how one appears to display such pride, many of their demonstrations are in fact against the law of respect for the flag. Usually these are unintentionally disrespectful acts, but in some cases are blatantly disrespectful.
Back to the original topic: The only time it is permissable to burn the flag is when it is no longer fit for display. What is not written is that the Star field of blue is to be cut away, and the flag is to be cut into several pieces first and then burned such as it is no longer a flag when it is being burned.
Jul 3, 2011 at 9:42 p.m.
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Got 19/20 but one question had the wrong answer...
Jul 3, 2011 at 6:13 p.m.
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I'm not afraid to admit I got only 12/20. Some of the particulars in the beginning tripped me up, but relating current issues to the amendments saved me. Guess it's back to the US History books and a study of the Constitution for me.
Jul 3, 2011 at 6:27 a.m.
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NVgrf interesting question. Perhaps you can recite the rulings on the other +140 supreme court cases of the 60's, I personally find that interesting and something I have no inclination of doing.
Jul 2, 2011 at 8:44 p.m.
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RAF....So if you didn't live it you shouldn't know it? Interesting! Hmmmmm!
Jul 2, 2011 at 1:33 p.m.
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16/20. Finally got the quiz to load. Government class in high school was a long time ago and was not something I enjoyed. But doing the quiz was fairly painless and it was a learning experience I needed.
Jul 2, 2011 at 12:39 p.m.
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I tried to take the quiz but got the "run-around". I either got a page that said "page not available" or when I clicked the link for the quiz again, it led me back to the original page with the link that said "Test your freedom IQ here" Hmmmm?
Jul 2, 2011 at 12:31 p.m.
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19/20, had no idea about the law suit in the late 60's; I was well under 10.
Jul 2, 2011 at 11:31 a.m.
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19/20 and I was one of those who laughed at the protesters in Madison. Never thought that they didn't have the right, simply laughed at their methods. However, surely someone as well versed in the First Amendment as the original poster supports prosectution against any and all of the protesters who made threats since, as question 13 clearly pointed out, this is in no way portected and is in fact illegal.
Jul 2, 2011 at 10:14 a.m.
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The inability to admit ignorance is deafening, isn't it?!
Jul 1, 2011 at 5:42 p.m.
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19/20 but I consider myself a (amateur) student of history. (Thank you in particular to my 7th and 11th grade history teachers for fostering my interests!)
Jul 1, 2011 at 4:44 p.m.
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20/20 I can't imagine how those who condemned the teacher protests in Madison will do.
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