(no subject)

[winterbadger]

Well, let's hope this link (to a PDF) works better.

http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/citizenship/flashcards/Flashcard_questions.pdf

This came up on a community I read. How many folks who are US cits already know all the answers to these? I annotated the copy I sent around the office (where most people are gettting at least a couple wrong), as I feel some of the questions are subjective and rather open-ended, and one or two answers are actually wrong or incomplete.

I assume this follows up on a test booklet that may train applicants in the "right" answers to some of the more subjective questions. (Whihc makes me think of the scene in The Untouchables where Sean Connery's character is asking the police cadets why they want to be policemen. "To uh, protecta, and, er, serve the people, of, er..." :-)

Comments

Because I am THAT bored, pt. 1

[dativesingular.livejournal.com]

Before I start, let me say now that I'm pretty sure murdergeisha will probably be able to get most, if not all, of these.

1. red, white, blue
2. each represents a state
3. 50
4. white
5. 13
6. each represents one of the original 13 colonies (PA represent!)
7. red
8. 50 (this seems redundant give #3)
9. independence from Ma England
10. England (weird, they seem to ask the same questions a lot)
11. England . . .and Prussian mercenaries
12. George Washington
13. Dubya
14. Cheney
15. the electoral colleges (okay, this could be one of the open-ended ones)
16. VP
17. The document which outlines our government (Er, people could write a freakin' ESSAY on this one, not sure how to be concise on that one)
18. Amendments
19. Ooh, that one I don't know.
20. Executive, Legislative, Judicial
21. Congress
22. Senate & House o' Reps
23. Ooh, don't know this one, either. Congress? Maybe Dubya should institute more Civics classes . . .
24. er, the American People? Now I'm unsure of all my answers
25. I
26. am
27. Rick Santorum (I think), Arlen Specter
28. an
29. idiot.
30. The Prez
31. Four years
32. Supreme Court
33. I feel very guilty that I don't know the answer to this.
34. The Constitution
35. Uh, things that can't be made illegal?
36. Harrisburg
37. Ed Rendell
38. The Speaker of the House (I think)
39. Clearly, I don't know enough about the Supreme Court.
40. PA (word!), NJ, NY, VT, CT, NH, ME, MA, VA, NC, SC, MD, DE
41. Patrick Henry (I think)
42. Germany, Italy, Japan
43. Shit. Alaska?
44. For some reason I think it's three, so long as the third one isn't consecutive to the first two. But I could be full of crap and I have no idea where I got that from.
45. I'm supposed to answer that in a sentence? COME ON. Central figure in the Civil Rights movement?
46. All I know for sure is that you have to be born in the USA. Like The Boss.
47. Er, because each state has two? In case one dies so the state is represented?
48. The Prez?
49. Not sure. 13? 26?

Re: Because I am THAT bored, pt. 2

[dativesingular.livejournal.com]

50. Freedom from religious persecution.
51. Governor
52. Mayor
53. Thanksgiving!
54. Thomas Jefferson
55. 1776
56. Again, another essay question. Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness and all that.
57. The Star-Spangled Banner
58. Francis Scott Key (but not the music! That, according to urban myth is an English drinking song)
59. 18
60. School House Rock is hazy right now.
61. The Supreme Court
62. Abraham Lincoln
63. Make slavery illegal. Start the Civil War?
64. The Cabinet
65. I've actually never heard that. I've only heard "Founding Fathers".
66. Washington (?)
67. Hawaii (?)
68. Native Americans (though if you want specific tribes, forget it)
69. Mayflower
70. colonies
71. Ooh, don't know.
72. I am SUCH a bad American. I'm beginning to think I shouldn't be voting.
73. See above answer.
74. The Bill of Rights
75. Anyone in the US (not just citizens?)
76. preamble
77. Congress (or is it just the House of Reps?)
78. White House
79. 1600 PENNSYLVANIA Avenue, DC.
80. freedom of speech, right to bear arms, freedom of press, freedom of religion, DAMN, I always forget the fifth one, used to know
81. The Prez
82. November
83. January
84. Ooh, not sure. As many times as they like?
85. Democrats & Republicans
86. The President, I don't know who else
87. The Bill of Rights
88. No clue.
89. I want to say Democracy, but something is nagging at me that it's a Republic. I'm ashamed that I don't know this.
90. "Peacekeeping". Heh, seriously, I don't know.
91. BECAUSE WE'RE #1! Er, I mean . . .actually, I could answer that in a lot of ways.
92. Amended.
93. Ooh, don't know. Freedom of speech?
94. It's where Dubya lives.
95. The Capitol is where Congress meets. As opposed to the capital, which is DC.
96. 3

Re: Because I am THAT bored, pt. 2

[winterbadger]

58. Not urban myth. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Anacreon_in_Heaven

I used to know the first and last verses by heart.

75. Yes, and I think that's a very interesting point. In one or two places, the Constitution deliberately distinguished between persons or people and citizens, but in the Bill of Rights it does not. NOTHING about the basic rights guaranteed in the Constitution limits them to citizens.

80. Right to bear arms is the Second Amendment. :-) First = no establishment of religion, freedom of religion, freedom of speech & press, freedom to assemble & petition for redress of grieveances.

89. I would have added "representative democracy" to their answer. Maybe they feel that's covered by "republic".

94. Only for two more years. (I hate the 22nd Amendment, but I'm not going to argue with it this time.)

Now, you, young lady, need to brush up on the legislative process! :-)

http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/laws/legproc.htm
http://www.loc.gov/law/guide/uscong.html

Re: Because I am THAT bored, pt. 2

[snolan.livejournal.com]

What a second, let's repeal that amendment that limits the President to only two terms NOW!!

Think about it. The silly Repugs would run "W" for re-election, and with an approval rating lower than Mariah Carey's it would all but guarantee a Democratic victory!

Woo hoo!

Re: Because I am THAT bored, pt. 1

[winterbadger]

11. *Hessians*, not Prussians. ;-) Yes, they all wear blue coats, but Koenig Friederich was busy using his impeccably drilled Potsdammers partition Poland with Russia and Austria and didn't send any over here to fight Americans. :-) The German contingent was from Brunswick, Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Hanau, Ansbach, and Anhalt-Zerbst.

(I think it was the last who sent a contingent that sat for most of the war on transport ships anchored in the St. Lawrence; very sad, as they had magnificent uniforms, IIRC white with black boots (or shoes and gaiters for practical use), red cloaks, and tall black cylindrical fur or felt hats--meant to look like the ferocious "pandours" or bandit-soldiers of the Balkans, whow had been terrific light infantry in recent wars in Europe, being the Austrian Empire's equivalent of Scottish Highlanders.)

Re: Because I am THAT bored, pt. 1

[winterbadger]

44. If only. I HATE the 22nd Amendment.

49. Kind of a trick question IMO, only because all the other questions they ask are set by the Constitution and this one isn't. And of course there's the whole Roosevelt court-packing episode to make it exciting.