Controversial Questionnaire
Here's a simple test to determine how "bad" propaganda has warped America
Ask TEN people to define America's form of government
To make it easy, give them a choice from the following:
[A] Democratic form
[.B] Indirect democracy
[C] Constitutional democracy
[D] Socialist democracy
[E] Republican form
...
If they remembered Art. 4, Sec. 4, USCON, they would have guessed:[E] Republican form.
...
Now, the "tricky" part -
Ask them to define, in legal terms: what republican form of government is:
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[F] a republic
[G] a constitutionally limited democracy
[H] a commonwealth
[.I] a parliamentary democracy
[J] a hereditary oligarchy
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If they guessed [H], a commonwealth, very good. If they guessed [F], very bad. A republic is not synonymous with a republican form.
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Now, lets see if they can guess what the definition of a commonwealth is.
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[K] form of government in which the administration of affairs is open to all the citizens.
[L] it signifies the state, independent of its form of government.
[M] one in which the welfare and rights of the entire mass of people are the main consideration, rather than the privileges of a class or the will of the monarch.
[N] form of government in which the sovereign power resides in and is exercised by the whole body of free citizens.
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If they guessed [M] then they are 1 in 10,000.
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Now, the finale - of the following descriptions, which one refers to a republican form of government?
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[P] One in which the powers of sovereignty are vested in the people and are exercised by the people directly.
[Q] The form of government in which the sovereign power resides in and is exercised by the whole body of free citizens indirectly.
[R] Men in free governments are subjects as well as citizens; as citizens they enjoy rights and franchises; as subjects they are bound to obey the laws.
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If they answered [P], congratulations, they are 1 in 100,000. [Q] refers to a democratic form, and [R] can refer to any other form of government, but not a republican form.
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If you ask ten Americans, I doubt that you will get a correct answer for all questions. In fact, if you ask 100,000 Americans, I doubt that you would find anyone who would correctly answer all questions. This information is not widely disseminated in government authorized education.
But I would like to be proven wrong.
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References:
The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; ....
- - - United States Constitution, Article 4, Section 4.
REPUBLICAN (form of) GOVERNMENT. One in which the powers of sovereignty are vested in the people and are exercised by the people, ... directly, .... In re Duncan, 139 U.S. 449, 11 S.Ct. 573, 35 L.Ed. 219; Minor v. Happersett, 88 U.S. (21 Wall.) 162, 22 L.Ed. 627.
- - - Black's Law Dictionary
COMMONWEALTH - ...It generally designates, when so employed, a republican form of government, - one in which the welfare and rights of the entire mass of people are the main consideration, rather than the privileges of a class or the will of the monarch;...
- - - Black's Law Dictionary, Sixth Edition, P. 278
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