Posted on 05/17/2011 2:35:22 PM PDT by Reese Hamm
Newt Gingrich is facing criticism for yet another idea he has floated during his presidential campaign -- that the country bring back tests for voting, which were banned by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as a tool used to suppress African-American voters. Now, Think Progress reports, none other than Tea Party favorite Rep. Allen West (R-FL), an African-American, is disagreeing -- and referring to the sort of discrimination that his own parents faced.
(Excerpt) Read more at tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com ...
From when did you pull out that little gem? I can only go with my experience and talking to a few other people at the college I was at in Alabama in 1964, but all of us had to take the test and all of us were white.
CONSTITUTION TEST
Your Name ________________
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1. Which of the following is a right guaranteed by the Bill of Rights? ____Public Education ____Employment ____Voting ____Trial by Jury
2. The federal census of population is taken each five years. ____True ____False
3. If a person is indicted for a crime, name two rights which he has. ____________________________________________
4. A U.S. senator elected at the general election in November takes office the following year on what date?_______________________________________
5. A President elected at the general election in November takes office the following year on what date?_______________________________________
6. Which definition applies to the word “amendment?” ____Proposed change, as in a Constitution ____Making of peace between nations at war ____A part of the government
7. A person appointed to the U.S. Supreme court is appointed for a term of________________________.
8. When the Constitution was approved by the original colonies, how many states had to ratify it in order for it to be in effect?____
9. Does enumeration affect the income tax levied on citizens in various states? _______
10. Persons opposed to swearing in an oath may say, instead: (solemnly__________________________)
11. To serve as President of the United States, a person must have attained: ____25 ____35 ____40 ____45 years
12. What words are required by law to be on all coins and paper currency of the U.S.? ____________________________________________
13. The Supreme Court is the chief lawmaking body of the state. ____True ____False
14. If a law passed by a state is contrary to provisions of the U.S. Constitution, which law prevails? ____________________________________________
15. If a vacancy occurs in the U.S. Senate, the state must hold an election, but meanwhile the place may be filled by a temporary appointment made by__________________________________________
16. A U.S. senator is elected for a term of ____ years.
17. Appropriation of money for the armed services can be only for a period limited to ____ years.
18. The chief executive and the administrative offices make up the _____________ branch of government.
19. Who passes laws dealing with piracy? ____________________________________________
20. The number of representatives which a state is entitled to have in the House of Representatives is based on ____________________________________
21. The Constitution protects an individual against punishments which are _________________ and _
22. When a jury has heard and rendered a verdict in a case, and the judgment on the verdict has become final, the defendant cannot again be brought to trial for the same cause. ____True ____False
23. Name two levels of government which can levy taxes: _______________________________________
24. Communism was the type of government in: ____U.S. ____Russia ____England
25. Cases tried before a court of law are two types, civil and ____________________________________
26. By a majority vote of the members of Congress, the Congress can change provisions of the Constitution of the U.S. ____True ____False
27. For security, each state has a right to form a ___________________________________________
28. The electoral vote for President is counted in the presence of two bodies. Name them: ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________
29. If no candidate for President receives a majority of the electoral vote, who decides who will become President?___________________________________ 30. Of the original 13 states, the one with the largest representation in the first Congress was ____________________________________________
31. Of which branch of government is the Speaker of the House a part? ____Executive ____Legislative ____Judicial
32. Capital punishment is the giving of a death sentence. ____True ____False
33. In case the President is unable to perform the duties of his office, who assumes them? ____________________________________________
34. “Involuntary servitude” is permitted in the U.S. upon conviction of a crime. ____True ____False
35. If a state is a party to a case, the Constitution provides that original jurisdiction shall be in ____________________________________________
36. Congress passes laws regulating cases which are included in those over which the U.S. Supreme Court has ________________________ jurisdiction.
37. Which of the following is a right guaranteed by the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution? ____Public Housing ____Education ____Voting ____Trial by Jury
38. The Legislatures of the states decide how presidential electors may be chosen. ____True ____False
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39. If it were proposed to join Alabama and Mississippi to form one state, what groups would have to vote approval in order for this to be done? ____________________________________________
40. The Vice President presides over _______________
41. The Constitution limits the size of the District of Columbia to _________________________________
42. The only laws which can be passed to apply to an area in a federal arsenal are those passed by _______________ provided consent for the purchase of the land is given by the ______________________
43. In which document or writing is the “Bill of Rights” found? _______________________________
44. Of which branch of government is a Supreme Court justice a part? ____Executive ____Legislative ____Judicial
45. If no person receives a majority of the electoral votes, the Vice President is chosen by the Senate. ____True ____False
46. Name two things which the states are forbidden to do by the U.S. Constitution. ____________________________________________
47. If election of the President becomes the duty of the U.S. House of Representatives and it fails to act, who becomes President and when? ____________________________________________
48. How many votes must a person receive in order to become President if the election is decided by the U.S. House of Representatives? __________________
49. How many states were required to approve the original Constitution in order for it to be in effect? ____________________________________________
50. Check the offenses which, if you are convicted of them, disqualify you for voting: ____Murder ____Issuing worthless checks ____Petty larceny ____Manufacturing whiskey
51. The Congress decides in what manner states elect presidential electors. ____True ____False
52. Name two of the purposes of the U.S. Constitution. ________________________________ ____________________________________________ 53. Congress is composed of _ ___________________________________________
54. All legislative powers granted in the U.S. Constitution may legally be used only by_______________
55. The population census is required to be made every ____ years.
56. Impeachments of U.S. officials are tried by ____________________________________________
57. If an effort to impeach the President of the U.S. is made, who presides at the trial? ____________________________________________ 58. On the impeachment of the chief justice of the Supreme court of the U.S., who tries the case? ____________________________________________
59. Money is coined by order of: ____U.S. Congress ____The President’s Cabinet ____State Legislatures
60. Persons elected to cast a state’s vote for U.S. President and Vice President are called presidential ____________________________________________
61. Name one power which is exclusively legislative and is mentioned in one of the parts of the U.S. Constitution above. ___________________________
62. If a person flees from justice into another state, who has authority to ask for his return? ______________
63. Whose duty is it to keep Congress informed of the state of the union? ________________________
64. If the two houses of Congress cannot agree on adjournment, who sets the time? ____________________________________________
65. When presidential electors meet to cast ballots for President, must all electors in a state vote for the same person for President or can they vote for different persons if they so choose? ______________________
66. After the presidential electors have voted, to whom do they send the count of their votes? ____________________________________________
67. The power to declare war is vested in ___________
68. Any power and rights not given to the U.S. or prohibited to the states by the U.S. Constitution are specified as belonging to whom? ________________ ____________________________________________
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Thanks, it is a tough test, not so tough in terms of a class room test, but more than the kind of thing that I would want to do for routine, 5 minute activities.
Man oh man...okay, Palin gives a much better pep rally speech than Gingrich, if you consider that great...
Vice Presidential candidate, and Governor Palin has given the best speeches of any woman in American history, I’m not aware of any great place in speech making history that Congressman Gingrich has made, nor are you.
In 1965, Russia existed as a communist state. So, if you were posed with question # 24:
24. Communism was the type of government in:
____U.S. ____Russia ____England
Well...what would you put?
Today, you would say Russia. In 1965, the questions would have to be:
24. Communism is the type of government in...
I was told it was two sets of 4 questions and two excerpts from the Constitution. Is that what you got?
About Grandfather Clauses? Seriously?
Here's Louisiana's:
Sec. 5. No male person who was on January 1st, 1867, or at any date prior thereto, entitled to vote under the Constitution or statutes of any State of the United States, wherein he then resided, and no son or grandson of any such person not less than twenty—one years of age at the date of the adoption of this Constitution, and no male person of foreign birth, who was naturalized prior to the first day of January, 1898, shall be denied the right to register and vote in this State by reason of his failure to possess the educational or property qualifications prescribed by this ConstitutionYou want more? I have more.
No.
It was a good, thoughtful conservative 30 minute talk.
Too bad Newt didn't have a good, thoughtful, conservative answer to leftist interviewer David Gregory on Meet the Press last Sunday when he was pointedly asked about Paul Ryan's Medicare proposals and blithely threw Ryan's proposals under the metaphorical bus as he lamely attempted to straddle both sides of the health care issue. Democrats must have been thrilled. Conservatives were not.
Palin ever give this kind of speech?
Yes. Just as importantly, Sarah Palin does not attempt to pander to leftist interviewers by dismissing perfectly sensible Republican budget/Medicare proposals.
Newt Gingrich has his attributes but he is often a loose cannon and does not appear to hold a conservative ideology for long. In my opinion, Newt Gingrich cannot be trusted and for that reason I would not support him.
mmm. You would exclude a honored veteran serving overseas because he was under 25?
You would exclude a senior citizen that worked and paid taxes 45 years and saved up enough cash to live on for the rest of his life?
A better test would be a tax-return test. You don't get to vote unless you put in more than you took out.
Remember, this was in 1964 so the OldPossum’s recollection is not the sharpest. However, I can say with confidence that there were no 60 questions. As I recall, the test was of fewer than 20 questions, that’s for sure. And all of it was based on a reading of the Constitution.
Many moons have gone by since I was in college and I may have been instructed in the grandfather clauses. I just don’t remember. But obviously, you have the goods, so I concede.
I can say with a great deal of confidence that in Shelby County, Alabama, of those students whom I knew, none got a pass on taking the test.
Military members should ALWAYS be able to vote, no matter what age. Ditto for senior citizens with a tax-paying history.
Voting should not be open to just any ole body. That is how we end up with hucksters shucksters and sheisters like Obama.
How do you determine a 'tax-paying history'?
Ok, apparently you like the idea of non-tax-payers voting. I don’t. So we are going to have to disagree.
The “anyone over 18 can vote” nonsense is not good for the country. It allows the have-nots to vote themselves benefits at the expense of the haves, and, let’s face it, 18 year olds are not intelligent enough to vote.
Only those that have some sort of stake in the country should be allowed the right to vote. This concept of voting as a civic duty is stupid. It convinces people that they should vote “just because”. Invariably, they vote for the Obamas of the world.
In the early days voting was restricted to land owners over the age of 21. At that time, land was the marker of ownership in something, and a definite indication that one was a tax-payer. It would not be a good marker now.
So, I would like to see the minimum age to vote be 25 (maybe 30), except for military members, who should be able to vote at any age, and be a tax-payer of some sort.
If your hypothetical senior citizen is living off of assets, they are likely paying some kind of tax on said assets. Therefore, they are a tax-payer, or probably have been before.
If you can't answer the question, just say you don't have an answer. Don't get personal and project onto me falseley.
Apologies, I was under the impression that you didn’t like my idea since you’ve challenged it twice.
I figure there has to be a way to determine the tax-paying history of a retiree. I don’t know how exactly. I would say let the IRS do it, but if I ruled the world the IRS would be completely abolished. So that’s out.
I would consider further restricting voting to one vote per household, but that could create problems in an Archie Bunker/Meathead household. Same principal, though. The chief bill payer of a household gets the final vote.
Welfare recipients, for obvious reasons, should definitely not be able to vote.
I don’t think literacy should be required. It is conceivable (though unlikely) that one could meet the other requirements without being literate, so I don’t think that restriction would pass Constitutional muster.
If only. None of these voting changes will ever be implemented. In fact, I’m sure 13 year olds will be given the right to vote soon. Afterall, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg thought 12 was old enough to consent to sex and abortion, so why not voting?
You agreed with my 'challenges'.
Great movie. Just saw it recently.
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