Quiz: How Much Do You Know About What the United States Constitution Says?
Ranked #6,730 in Education, #157,291 overall
So you think you know the U.S.Constitution, the document that determines the laws you live under?
It's amazing how much we think we know about what it says because of what we've heard in the media or been taught at school. Not everything we read and hear is true.Sometimes Congress and / or the President exercise powers the Constitution does not give them and hope that an ignorant populace won't notice or be able to do anything about it. The only place to get the real answers is within the Constitution itself. Did you ever get much farther into it than the Preamble, which most U.S.children have to memorize at sometime in their school years? (Or at least, they used to have to.)
Feel free to read it and refresh your memory before you take this quiz. Or take it to see if what you have always thought you knew is correct.
Keep the Constitution in Your Thoughts
How Much Do You Know About What the United States Constitution Says?
See what your score is, then challenge a friend.
This quiz was difficult to make, since although the Constitution was intended to be read and understood by the average adult, it's still a legal document. It's easier to understand than almost any insurance policy, but it uses a lot of language that makes writing multiple choice questions hard. Some articles take a lot of rereading before you really get them. I decided not to ask you questions about those articles that rarely need to be applied.
Actually, the United States Constitution is a simple document -- especially if you compare it to the Constitution of the State of California, where I live. The federal Constitution takes up ten pages of small print -- including the amendments. The California Constitution is a book, and a lot of it is crossed out because of the changes that have been made. I confess I have not read it, and I wonder how many of our legislators have.
I have read and studied the Constitution of the United States, and it doesn't say a lot of things that some people think and teach that it says. Read it, and see for yourself. Then you can truly be an informed citizen who can help educate other voters.
Vigilance by musecloud
Use this to help educate others.
The Constitution is not always as clear as we would like.
Even Constitutional scholars don't agree on some points.
One controversial part of the Constitution today is the 14th Amendment, Section 1. This is what it says:
1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Note: According to the American College Dictionary, these is the applicable common definitions of "jurisdiction"
2. power; authority; control.
4. the territory over which judicial authority is exercised
The legal definition is "administration of the law."
Signing of the Constitution of the United States by theartgallery
Do you think this means that every person born in the United States should get automatic citizenship, even if his mother was not legally in the United States when he was born?
Sure. The legal status of the mother in the U.S. on the date of the child's birth has nothing to do with it.
TheLeftFitz says:
Of course a child born here, regardless of the circumstances, should be granted citizenship. The Constitution says nothing about the mother's status, and to not give a child citizenship because it's mother isn't a legal resident would be depriving them of liberty & the privileges we take for granted.
No way. The very fact the mother wasn't here legally meant she did not regard herself as subject to the authority of U.S. law and under it's jurisdiction.
AustinRick says:
My own view is that no one should be an automatic citizen; everyone should have to demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of republican government much in the same way that an immigrant must in order to become a naturalized citizen. In particular, the following points should be clear:
1) All people have the same rights, which are limited only to the extent that no one may harm or offer to harm another or another's property, or create or maintain a hazard or nuisance.
2) The state is a creature of the people and has only the authority that the people give it.
3) The people may not give the state any authority they do not have.
Tipi says:
Have we thoughtt about common sense?
sandyspider says:
I don't think the Constitution was intended for a baby born here from a parents who are not legal citizens to instantly become one, just because he or she was born here. It isn't right and no other country would do this.
tssfacts says:
I have to agree with Susan this is a sticky one. I don't know if there is a correct answer since there could be circumstances that aren't taken in account. I am not sure a line can be drawn in the sand and say one way or the other.
BuckHawk says:
What a debate you have here! I had to think hard about this one, but I have to go with NO. It seems unfair that a mother is not legal so why should her child be legal. But, on the otherhand, it seems unfair to penalize a child! Ugh, what a can of worms we have here.
Protect the Constitution
Do It For the Children!
Did you disagree with any of my answers?
How did you do?
Feel free to take issue with me, but try not to give away my answers for those who haven't taken the quiz yet.
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PatriotDesigns
Mar 1, 2012 @ 11:25 am | delete
- Great lens!
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jEsChrDs82
Jan 27, 2012 @ 5:47 am | delete
- I'm searching for information on US constitution and come across this lens. This is very informative, as an adult we are expected to know our constitution but to my dismay there are a lot of things I myself still need to know. I'm glad my job is helping me learn about a lot of things that I can pass along my kids.
constitution for kids
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dogodor
Jan 15, 2011 @ 12:50 pm | delete
- Great lens. Keep up the good work and you will go far!
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Tipi
Dec 18, 2010 @ 10:35 pm | delete
- I don't think I'm qualified to disagree with you, excellent work!
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sandyspider
Dec 7, 2010 @ 9:37 am | delete
- I need to brush up a bit. Excellent lens.
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tssfacts
Dec 7, 2010 @ 8:08 am | delete
- What a great lens and quiz. I thought I would do better on quiz. I know it took a lot of effort to get that quiz written. Great job.
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ohcaroline
Dec 6, 2010 @ 1:40 pm | delete
- I didn't do all that well on the quiz. 50% I'm afraid the negatives and double negatives had my head swirling. Excellent quiz...and I can't imagine how long it took you to write it.
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BarbRad Dec 6, 2010 @ 1:54 pm | delete
- The double negatives are what made it hard to write. The Bill of Rights has lots of them. The Constitution is full of negatives.
It seems the more time that passes, the harder the amendments are to understand. The 25th Amendment, enacted in 1965, dealing with the Vice Presidency, is enough to make one's head spin.
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BuckHawk
Dec 6, 2010 @ 7:02 am | delete
- What a fabulous lens you have here. And what a debate you have started. I was disappointed that I only got 60%. I thought I knew more about the Constitution of the US. But, you found some interesting points to ask about.
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bethd821
Dec 6, 2010 @ 4:46 am | delete
- Well, I didn't do as well as I thought I would on your quiz. I thought too long on several of them.
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by BarbRad
In my life I've been student, public library clerk, English teacher in public school, elementary teacher in private schools,card buyer for Logos Bookstore... more »
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