Civics lesson

Megan McArdle is smarter than I am – or she knows more, at least. Apparently she got 60 out of 60 questions right on this quiz; I got 50 out of 60 and was pleased with that. I blame the fact that I am not an American and did not receive an American education: I had no idea there even was a president named Andrew Johnson, let alone what his fight with the Radical Republicans might have been about. That said, the average Harvard senior got fewer than 42 questions right, so maybe it's just a really hard test, or maybe Harvard seniors aren't as clever as everybody seems to think they are.

I'd be fascinated to find out the scores of the various presidential candidates if this test were sprung on them. It would almost certainly tell us more than any number of interminable debates. Interestingly, nearly all of Megan's readers (who revealed their score) got at most two or three questions wrong. I guess they're smarter than me, too.

Posted by Felix at 17:49 EST

Comments

I call shenanigans. In what sense was the war of 1812 a "stalemate"? Britain achieved none or almost none of its objectives; the US achieved all or almost all of its objectives.

Posted by: Tiny Tim at 19:03 EST, September 19, 2007

I had no idea there even was a president named Andrew Johnson,

Felix, do you have a twenty-dollar bill in your pocket?

Posted by: mike d at 13:13 EST, September 20, 2007

Excuse me, I read "Jackson", not Johnson. But following the Clinton impeachment should have tipped you to the latter.

Posted by: mike d at 13:17 EST, September 20, 2007

I got 48 right -- including a couple of embarrassing wrong ones that I'll put down to rushing it.

Posted by: Stefan at 16:00 EST, September 22, 2007

46.

Posted by: Matthew at 8:06 EST, September 24, 2007

Posted by: geoff at 12:09 EST, September 24, 2007

Posted by: Eric at 15:58 EST, September 25, 2007