[nizcreare]

By the way, albie, the orthodox view of the development of the modern form of the US republic is that it is based on 3 founding documents: the Constitution, the declaration of independence and the gettysburg address. Further, if you wanted to summarize the view of the gettysburg address on the subject, you would use the phrase quoted in that quiz.

Calling that "trivia" betrays an enormous lack of understanding of the history of american government.

[borasolit]

You ****ing dumbass I know what the **** the difference between the debt as a stock and the deficit as a flow is. The question didn't make it clear. I assumed the question was assuming taxes have always equaled spending because that was a case without extraneous things. Why the **** would I assume the situation in the question has pre-existing debt?!

How did you get through school without learning how to take a multiple choice test? There was an obvious best answer. If taxes equal spending then taxes per capita must also be equal to spending per capita. I mean, duh. That's tautological and doesn't require any stupid assumptions on your part.

[haudraufwienix]

From the fact that you were so obviously proud of beating the quoted average score.

[oxinsnepe]

What exactly are you here for? Why did you feel an urge to compare scores on some online test?

[Goodwin]

I thought it would be interesting to people to see this test. Why wouldn't it be?

[FUNALA]

The fact that it is easy is interesting with regards to how badly the 'average person' does.

[Zjohkrbi]

And now you're back to bragging about how you consider yourself above the ignorant masses

Apparently, you were bragging as well, as was everyone else who posted their results and/or commented on how easy it is.

That's not bragging though. I simply quoted an observation from the website the test is located at.

[ImmitsRom]

What the flying ****... he's not a history major, and even then having Gettysburg address memorized wouldn't be that important. Just out of curiosity Ben, what do you think, how large of a percentage of the general population in the US can recall the whole Gettysburg address on the spot from their memory? Mine can and did. As KH said, three documents, Declaration of independence, the constitution and the Gettysburg address are core American republican documents.

[maonnjtip]

And now you're back to bragging about how you consider yourself above the ignorant masses

I'd say that Alpert is above the ignorant masses in many knowledge areas, except perhaps international toilets and good music.

[Sertvfdnhgjk]

Mine can and did. As KH said, three documents, Declaration of independence, the constitution and the Gettysburg address are core American republican documents.

He didn't say anything about republicans.

[RooldpalApata]

I got the last one wron about government debt being zero if taxes and equal to spending. I guess I was thinking about the creting of debt not the debt that already thatre already.

Or may inm just a dummbo

I did the same thing, man! I assumed there was no pre-existing debt. Why would I assume there was pre-existing debt?

[Daruhuw]

I did the same thing, man! I assumed there was no pre-existing debt. Why would I assume there was pre-existing debt?

Are you honestly this stupid? The fact that a budget is balanced is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for debt to be zero. Learn to ****ing think.

[nasxbrtyol]

the Federalists, supported primarily by Northern urban middle class, Bzzt, class isn't relevant. If you mean merchants, say merchants. That's minus one.

wanted a strong central government authorized by a (written) Constitution. Written is important. Remember that at the time, there were no written constitutions.

The framework of federal government set by the Constitution would provide the necessary checks and balances to prevent either Congress or the Executive branch from wielding too much power and would ensure individual rights, without the specific need for an enumeration of rights as in the Bill of Rights. Bzzt, nope. That's an anti-federalist argument.

This strong federal government would possess a standing army and be able to defend the Republic against threats both foreign and domestic, in a manner individual states and their militias could not. The Federalists also supported the development of a national bank. Three points. Centralized state vs authority delegated to the states. That's the essence of the Feds vs anti feds. Checks and Balances is a Jeffersonian innovation that comes from the Anti feds.

The anti-Federalists, supported primarily by rural Southerners, wanted to preserve what would be considered states' rights a half century later. They were suspicious of even the concept of a federal government, believed a strong Executive branch was tantamount to monarchy, opposed a new Constitution (preferring to retain the Articles of Confederation), and demanded a specific Bill of Rights. Good.

While the Federalist position ultimately became represented in our Constitution, albeit with some compromises (such as the Bill of Rights), this conflict of ideology continued for the next century, most notably just prior to and during the Civil War. You've got the basics, except you're letting anti-fed positions drift into the Feds. The Feds were Jacksonian, strong central government and strong executive at the expense of checks and balances. I'd give you a B.

[violalmina]

It's not. If you mean merchants, say merchants. If you mean farmers, say farmers. This is 70 years prior to marx, it's just lazy.

[PymnImmen]

It's not. If you mean merchants, say merchants. If you mean farmers, say farmers. This is 70 years prior to marx, it's just lazy.

Who cares if it's prior to Marx? It's not like Marx invented class systems and people acting in their economic best interest on the socio-political sphere.

Why is Ben calling the Federalists Jacksonian?

He's referring to emphasis on a strong executive branch, not to anything else.

[JeffStewart]

You're making my eyes hurt, Ben. It's hard to keep rolling them.

[avodeinst]

You're making my eyes hurt, Ben. It's hard to keep rolling them. Your argument that Marx argued classes existed back then is taken. Except that it was an invention of Marx. That's the whole fricking point.