American Facts Test/Game/Puzzle

[albionmoonlight]

Fritz's Memorial Day thread got me thinking. How much do people really know about America and American things? Here are a list of questions--see how many you know off without researching (kinda defeats the point if you do). It's not graded and it is for your own edification. Feel free to post your personal results here (answers can be found easily online). Also--out of an abundance of caution, I note that knowing or not knowing these things speaks nothing to your worth as a person, as an American, or as a child in the eyes of God. I just thought some people would enjoy seeing how much they remember from high school government class. Also--feel free to add your own questions if you like. I have yet to do all of these (I just thought of #2), but must confess that I was stuck on 49 states forever before I had to give it up and look up the answer. 3 and 4 were a lot easier for me, having just been through law school.

1.) Name all 50 states.
1A.) Which of these 50 were the 13 colonies?

2.) Name all 43 American Presidents.

3.) There are 7 Articles in the U.S. Constitution. In a very general way, what purpose does each Article serve?

4.) Name the 10 Amendments that make up the Bill of Rights.
4A.) Name all 27 Amendments.

[RPI-Fan]

1 and 1a are a cinch for me.

I can probably get 33-35 of #2 (don't have time to sit down and do it).

#3 - 0.

#4 - 7 or 8 of them.
#4a - 4 or 5 of 11-28.

[Jon]

I can do most of the states and presidents, all of the articles, all ten bill of rights amendments, and about 13 of the remaining amendments. By the way, there are only 27 amendments to the constitution, not 28.

[QuikSand]

I used to write down the articles and amendments as a warm-up for academic competitions (calms the nerves, and you just never know when it might come up) -- so I pretty much have them all down.

As for the states and presidents, I know them all -- I might well get stuck one or two shy of the full list (states, especially - I think I could get the Presidents in order) but it would be just fumbling through a mental map, not an actual lack of knowledge, of course.

[albionmoonlight]

When I did the states, I got confused out West. I thought that I had all "four corners" and just shut off the part of my brain that thought of them. The trick wasn't knowing all 50--it was remembering them all at once and not tripping over my own brain. I am interested to try the presidents when I get home. Probably get in the high 30s, but I don't trust my ability to get all of them. Certainly not in order.

As for the 27 Amendments--I have no idea why I put down 28. Perhaps I had been reading something about a "proposed 28th amendment" involving gay marriage and that slipped out. Proper edits have been made above.

[Huckleberry]

There have only been 42 Presidents.

[albionmoonlight]

I actually looked that one up. According to http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/gwbbio.html, "George W. Bush is the 43rd President of the United States."

[Huckleberry]

I know what it says. Let me see your list of the 43 Presidents when you're done.

edit - To clarify, those that understand the discrepancy will know what I'm getting at. To my way of thinking, one man is one President in a list of all Presidents.

[Suicane75]

I can get most of 1, 1a and 2 and then im done for.

[Celeval]

1 and 1a are cinches.
I can list probably 25 or so of 2, but not in order.
3 is a loss, 4 is pretty spotty.

[Wolfpack]

1, 1a are easy.
Given a bit of time I think I can get all 43 presidents. In a sense, it helps to know the numbers of some of them and then you can made educated guesses to fill the gaps.
3, I think I can do at least the branches of government, but I'm less certain on the rest of them.
4, I can come up with many, but not all probably and I'd probably get the numbers wrong on several of them. I think I can get most of the BoR, though.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry

I know what it says. Let me see your list of the 43 Presidents when you're done.

edit - To clarify, those that understand the discrepancy will know what I'm getting at. To my way of thinking, one man is one President in a list of all Presidents.

I get it, too, and I agree with you. I suppose by just asking to list the presidents instead of asking to produce a numbered list of the presidents, 42 makes more sense. But I am too lazy to edit what is really just a fun thing of which I thought last night.