MarkFord
Last-Minute Chance to Test Yourself: Are You Knowledgeable Enough to Be a Responsible Voter?
This month’s quiz touches on American political and presidential history, including a few questions whose answers may surprise you.
The Questions
1. There are only three requirements to be US President, according to Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the US Constitution. Which of the following are those three?
A: Must be a free man.
B: Must swear an oath of loyalty to the US.
C: Must be at least 35 years old.
D: Must have passed a literacy test.
E: Must have lived in the US for at least 14 years.
F: Must be a natural-born citizen.
2. When did Congress remove property ownership as a requirement to vote in elections?
A: 1812
B: 1856
C: 1884
D: 1914
3. Speaking in Pittsburg on Oct 10, Kamala Harris proclaimed she would engage in what Franklin Roosevelt called “bold, persistent experimentation” to stimulate the economy. How did Roosevelt’s “experimentation” work out?
A. It was a great success and rescued the country from the Great Depression.
B. It had no significant effect because Roosevelt never pursued it.
C. It was among the reasons that economic misery prevailed for so many years after his election to the presidency in 1932.
4. Who is the only US President to have served in both World Wars?
A: Herbert Hoover
B: Theodore Roosevelt
C: Dwight D. Eisenhower
D: Calvin Coolidge
5. Donald Trump was the first US President to run for election as a convicted criminal. True or False?
A: True
B: False
6. During the 1960 presidential campaign, Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon had four debates. According to polls conducted at the time, voters that heard the debates on the radio favored one candidate and voters that saw them on TV favored another. How did that break down?
A: Nixon was favored by television viewers and Kennedy was favored by radio listeners.
B: Kennedy was favored by television viewers and Nixon was favored by radio listeners.
7. Who was the first US President born in a hospital?
A: Herbert Hoover
B: Dwight D. Eisenhower
C: John F. Kennedy
D: Jimmy Carter
8. In his second run for the presidency, George Washington spent almost his entire campaign budget on what?
A: Newspaper ads
B: Campaign events in New York and Philadelphia
C: Building an addition to his personal residence
D: Liquor for potential voters
9. Most people believe that Abraham Lincoln was the tallest US President. How tall was he?
A: 5’ 10”
B: 6’ 1”
C: 6’ 4”
D: 6’ 7”
10. Trump never conceded the 2020 election to Biden. True or False?
A: True
B: False
The Answers
1. C, D, & E. Read this.
2. B: 1856. Read this.
3. C: Constant changing of the rules in Washington disrupted the ability of individuals to plan and make decisions. Read this.
4. C: Dwight D. Eisenhower was the only US President to serve in both WWI and WWII. Read this.
5. False: Eugene V. Debs, a five-time Socialist Party candidate for the presidency in the early 1900s, was jailed in 1918 for his continued agitation against the government. He made his fifth and final run from a federal prison. He lost, but still received more than 900,000 votes. Read this.
6. B: Kennedy was favored by television viewers and Nixon was favored by radio listeners. Read this.
7. D: Jimmy Carter. Read this.
8. D: Washington spent it on liquor for potential voters. Specifically: 28 gallons of rum, 50 gallons of rum punch, 34 gallons of wine, 46 gallons of beer, and two gallons of cider served to 391 voters – nearly half a gallon per voter. Read this.
9: C: Lincoln was 6’4”. Read this.