Panolian writer tests readers’ civics knowledge

With the presidential election right around the corner, now is a good time to test your knowledge of our great country and its history.

So here is a pre-election quiz. It’s called The Panolian’s “Do You Know America?” Quiz, because it had to have a name and that name works pretty well.

Or maybe you think it’s not the greatest time to show what you know. Maybe failing to recite the three branches of the federal government will make you feel guilty for casting a ballot on November 4.

Please, don’t feel guilty. Step up to the Diebold machine with the confidence that, no matter what you don’t know, other people know even less and some of them are dead and still vote. 
So take the quiz with confidence.

Some of you might be feeling queasy about now. Don’t panic. The quiz is meant to be fun. Nobody except you and your co-workers and your family and friends will know if you slept through civics class.

It could be a whole lot worse, like one of those a-train-leaves-Chicago-at-7-a.m. questions. There is no math in this quiz, except for adding up your score. I added up 37 points, but I could be wrong – badly wrong.

Feel free to e-mail me at billyd@panolian.com with your scores and comments, and your name.
You can also send some questions of your own, and depending on your responses, The Panolian might present your questions next week. The questions you send, if used, will be attributed to you.

There are a couple of tricky questions, so consider yourselves warned. The correct answers appear on page A12.

Remember that there are 26 total points. Or is it 36? Man, I hate math.

Name the three branches of the federal government: (1 pt. each correct answer)

Before rising to power in Germany and leading that country to war, Adolph Hitler rose through the ranks of this political party: (2 pt.)
National German Republican People’s Party
National Socialist German Workers’ Party
National Democratic Party
German Nazi Republican Party

3.  Circle the names of Mississippi’s current U.S. senators: (1 pt. each correct answer)
Travis Childers
Haley Barbour
Thad Cochran
Roger Wicker
Dickie Scruggs

4.  Who is the third in line for succession following the president and vice president? (2 pts.)

5.  Nine justices sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. Name as many as you can – last names are OK. (2 pt. each).
 

6.  Which document was penned first: (1 pt.)
a. The U.S. Constitution
b. Equal Rights Amendment
c. New King James Bible
d. Declaration of Independence
e. The Star Spangled Banner