# Wow, I didn't realize how little some voters know about government! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 21, 2024, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015 "2024-08-21T20:58:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/21 "2024-08-22T01:29:00Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > At what point do you stop excusing them by saying they were just answering the wrong question, and just say “They was wrong.”? They weren’t just wrong, they were so far off that I was wondering if they were actually answering the wrong question. Because if they were actually answering the right question then… wow. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/22 "2024-08-22T01:36:44Z")
I know that Ohio has 88 counties, but only because it’s the same as the number of piano keys. Still, even if I hadn’t known, I think I’d at least get the right order of magnitude. I don’t know how big either chamber of the Ohio legislature is, but I’m sure it’s closer to 100 than to 8. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/23 "2024-08-22T01:37:46Z")
What is “wow” is that it doesn’t look like you corrected them, instead just silently making excuses for them. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/24 "2024-08-22T02:08:08Z")
Does anyone have a link to the U.S. citizenship test so we can all take it and be too embarrassed to post our scores? ---
**Author:** ![Gozu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gozu/32/6615_2.png) [@Gozu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/25 "2024-08-22T02:14:29Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Does anyone have a link to the U.S. citizenship test so we can all take it and be too embarrassed to post our scores? > **[Preparing For The Oath: U.S. History And Civics For Citizenship](https://americanhistory.si.edu/citizenship/test)** > > Learn and Practice for the U.S. Naturalization Test. From the National Museum of American History and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/26 "2024-08-22T02:14:29Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Wait, maybe I’m showing my own ignorance, but how was your rep not up for reelection? Perhaps it was an off-off election year, like 2017 or 2023. Here in WA we still have elections those years for municipal offices and the occasional referendum. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/27 "2024-08-22T02:18:57Z")
10 out of 10. 🎉 ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/28 "2024-08-22T02:20:17Z")
The questions I got were; 1. Name the group of people that were brought to America and sold as slaves 2. What countries did the US fight in WWII? 3. Name one Indian tribe 4. Name one of the causes of the Civil War 5. Name one responsibility of US citizens (the real test isn’t multiple choice, but here the answer they’re looking for is jury duty) 6. Why did the colonists fight the British? 7. When is the deadline to send in tax forms? 8. Who was the first president? 9. Who makes federal laws? 10. What are the first ten amendments called? I got them all right except for 6. The options they gave were “Voting age”, “States’ rights”, “the Constitution”, and “because the British Army stayed in their houses”. I chose B, but they were looking for D, which I’d object to because that was a fairly minor concern of the colonists and “states’ rights” seems like it would be more correct. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/29 "2024-08-22T02:26:38Z")
10/10, mostly served up trivia that has nothing to do with citizenship (e.g., the title of the national anthem). ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/30 "2024-08-22T02:43:55Z")
10/10. I expected to do really bad but these were all $100 level Kid’s Jeopardy questions. Is this _really_ what is asked on the citizenship test? 🤨 Especially with giving a choice of four answers. Even if you weren’t sure the correct answers were obvious. “What is the Capitol of the US?” “What are the two major political parties in the US?” “What is Freedom of Religion?” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/31 "2024-08-22T02:58:14Z")
I had another set of questions entirely, including who signs a law, who vetoes a law, and what are the two parts of Congress. I wonder if there’s some collection of all the questions for a real (if still easy) test. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gozu/32/6615_2.png) [@Gozu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/32 "2024-08-22T03:02:50Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > 10/10. I expected to do really bad but these were all $100 level Kid’s Jeopardy questions. Is this _really_ what is asked on the citizenship test? 🤨 Especially with giving a choice of four answers. Even if you weren’t sure the correct answers were obvious. > > “What is the Capitol of the US?” > “What are the two major political parties in the US?” > “What is Freedom of Religion?” And yet! > **[National Survey Finds Just 1 in 3 Americans Would Pass Citizenship Test -...](https://citizensandscholars.org/resource/national-survey-finds-just-1-in-3-americans-would-pass-citizenship-test/)** > > Educating for democracy since 1945 ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/33 "2024-08-22T03:05:03Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Does anyone have a link to the U.S. citizenship test so we can all take it and be too embarrassed to post our scores? You are waaaaaay ahead of yourself, there. First, I’m going to need you to fill out a 20 page application, with 5 years of work history, plus tell me every time you’ve been arrested, even if no charges resulted or charges were dropped, then present certified copies of all the arrest records and court records (even if juvenile, even if sealed, even if acquitted or dismissed), then get me the marriage certificate for every marriage, and the divorce record for every divorce, and if you’ve ever been late on your taxes I’m going to need you to get a letter from the IRS explaining you’re all caught up. Now, as far as traffic citations… the good news is, I won’t ask you to provide records of those, but I will insist you tell me every single citation you’ve ever gotten, and if you forget one just pray that I don’t find out and deport you to a country you have no memory of because you’ve been living in the US for as long as you can remember. THEN you can take the citizenship test. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/34 "2024-08-22T03:08:36Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > I think most people know there are three branches of government, legislative, judicial, executive. Maybe they won’t articulate it that way but if you mention Congress, the Supreme Court, and the President, I have heard- House Senate and President. I mean, it is not that wrong. > [@Gozu](#): > > [Preparing For The Oath: U.S. History And Civics For Citizenship](https://americanhistory.si.edu/citizenship/test) We had to take- and pass- that test in 7th grade. > [@Smapti](#): > > - Name the group of people that were brought to America and sold as slaves > > - What countries did the US fight in WWII? > > - Name one Indian tribe > > - Name one responsibility of US citizens (the real test isn’t multiple choice, but here the answer they’re looking for is jury duty) Well, Blacks is obvious, but there were a few others 2- Quite a few- sure Japan, Germany, Italy, but there was also Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Finland and a few others. IMHO if you get the first three right, you’d be okay. I do not think I could list all of them. 5 Voting? > [@Gozu](#): > > And yet! And every immigrant who has received their citizenship has passed that test. Makes you wonder. > [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > Now, as far as traffic citations… the good news is, I won’t ask you to provide records of those, but I will insist you tell me every single citation you’ve ever gotten, and if you forget one just pray that I don’t find out and deport you to a country you have no memory of because you’ve been living in the US for as long as you can remember. I doubt that. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/35 "2024-08-22T03:12:22Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > plus tell me every time you’ve been arrested, even if no charges resulted or charges were dropped, then present certified copies of all the arrest records and court records (even if juvenile, even if sealed, even if acquitted or dismissed) …and so I proceeded to tell him the story of the Alice’s Restaurant Massacree, with full orchestration and four-part harmony… ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/36 "2024-08-22T03:25:24Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I got them all right except for 6. The options they gave were “Voting age”, “States’ rights”, “the Constitution”, and “because the British Army stayed in their houses”. I chose B, but they were looking for D, which I’d object to because that was a fairly minor concern of the colonists and “states’ rights” seems like it would be more correct. Well, there weren’t states at that point, and the Fifth Amendment specifically addresses the quartering of soldiers in private homes. So I’d have said that was pretty cut and dried. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/37 "2024-08-22T03:42:06Z")
> [@bump](#): > > the Fifth Amendment specifically addresses the quartering of soldiers in private homes. Third. And it’s not as if they weren’t being referred to as “states” at the time; the Declaration of Independence refers to them as states repeatedly throughout. > [@](#): > > We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. That being said, if this was the actual test and I was expected to answer aloud instead of multiple choice, I probably would’ve said “taxation without representation”. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/38 "2024-08-22T03:53:13Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Wait, maybe I’m showing my own ignorance, but how was your rep not up for reelection? He was up for re-election (albeit against some no-name Democrat who didn’t even campaign). As I wrote, my grandmother pulled out a copy of the Constitution on the spot and showed me where it says Representatives are elected for two year terms. > [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Are you in PA? It was only 70 years ago that I learned that PA had 67 counties and I have never forgotten it. Florida. I don’t remember our state’s counties being taught in K-12. > [@Smapti](#): > > Perhaps it was an off-off election year, like 2017 or 2023. Here in WA we still have elections those years for municipal offices and the occasional referendum. It was 2014, the year I turned 18, I just didn’t know. We had covered it in class but for whatever reason, at the time, I thought it was 4 years. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/39 "2024-08-22T03:59:46Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > We had to take- and pass- that test in 7th grade. Technically, you don’t have to pass 7th grade to vote in the United States. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2024, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015/40 "2024-08-22T04:06:33Z")
Test was too simple to almost be confusing. How do immigrants even get that? Of course we all learned this in school. And we find it easy to pass. I did get confused alittle a war fought in the 18th century. But that was misreading. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-i-didnt-realize-how-little-some-voters-know-about-government/1006015.md?page=3)