If all Americans were asked...

[Link]

-the President of France : 55%
-the party from which he's from : 10%

I hate to break this to ya . . .

If the US isn't at war with you, we don't know who you are.

This.

[angus]

I'm not sure.  Just for fun, I'll give it a go.


-the current President of the United States:  Obama
-the current governor of their home state:  Branstad
-their two senators:  Harkin & Grassley
-their congresscritter:  I don't even know what that means
-the speaker of the house and PPT of the Senate:  Boehner & VP Biden
-the last three presidents before the incumbent one:  Bush, Clinton, Bush
-the capital of their state:  Des Moines

-the PM of the UK:  Cameron
-the party from which the PM of the UK is from:  Conservative Party
-the Queen of the commonwealth realms:  Elizabeth 2
-the PM of Canada:  I do not know
-the party forming government in Canada:  I do not know
-the President of France:  Sarkozy
-the party from which he's from:  Union pour Mouvement Populaire (sp?)
-the Chancellor of Germany:  Merckel
-the party from which she's from:  Christliche Demokratische Union (sp?)
-the President of China:  Hu Jintao
-the PM of India:  Apu Nahasapeemapetalon (Just kidding.  I don't know)

-the PM of Iraq:  Nouri al Maliki
-the Supreme Leader of Iran:  Ali Khomeni (sp?)
-the President of Brazil:  Lula da Silva
-the President of Russia:  Medvedev
-the President of Afghanistan:  Karzai
-whether or not Palestine is an internationally recognized sovereign state:  it is not
-the PM of Spain:  I do not Know, but the King's name is Juan Carlos
-the President of Venezuela:  Chavez
-the President of Mexico:  Calderón

-the King of Saudi Arabia:  Abdullhah
-the capital of Canada:  Ottawa
-the Governor-General of Canada:  I do not know


How well did I do?  The ones in bold I'm sure I don't know.  Also, I know that Lula is no longer the Brazilian president but I can't think of the new one's name.  I think it is a female.

[angus]

Okay, I looked up the stuff I didn't know

The Canadian Prime Minister's name is Harper.  He is a member of the Conservative Party.

Dr. Manmohan Singh is the Prime Minister of India.

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is the Prime Minister of Spain.

The name of the governor general of Canada is Johnston.

And "congresscritter"  dude, that was way unfair!  I've looked it up and apparently it's slang for "member of congress."  I could have told you in a nanosecond that he is an asshole named Bruce Braley.  I know him well.  I think I'd come to your office and argue over those points, wearing you down till you caved, if you were my professor and this was a real test.  

Now, ask me again in a month and I bet I probably would not get a 100%.  The ones we hear about on the news--Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, France, Mexico, Iran, the USA, the British Commonwealth, and, from time to time, Brazil--I could remember.  But India?  Canada?  Spain?  Who can remember any of those? 

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Also, Biden is President of the Senate, not President Pro Tempe. That's Inouye (I admit I forgot who it was and had to look it up)

[angus]

Also, Biden is President of the Senate, not President Pro Tempe. That's Inouye (I admit I forgot who it was and had to look it up)

Ah, good.  That's another one I missed.  Fair enough. 

"congresscritters" still irks me!  Has anyone ever used, or even heard, that word before?!  If the question had asked me who my member of congress is I would easily have answered.

[Јas]

Also, Biden is President of the Senate, not President Pro Tempe. That's Inouye (I admit I forgot who it was and had to look it up)

Ah, good.  That's another one I missed.  Fair enough. 

"congresscritters" still irks me!  Has anyone ever used, or even heard, that word before?!  If the question had asked me who my member of congress is I would easily have answered.

If we're correcting things, your answer to President of Brazil is out of date since the start of the year.
And well over 100 countries recognise Palestinian statehood.

[angus]

If we're correcting things, your answer to President of Brazil is out of date since the start of the year.

Yes, I stated that in my original post. 


As for palestine, you could have n-1 countries recognizing Palestine's sovereignty, where n is the total number of governments, but if that 1 happens to be the US, then the correct answer is no.

[Јas]

As for palestine, you could have n-1 countries recognizing Palestine's sovereignty, where n is the total number of governments, but if that 1 happens to be the US, then the correct answer is no.

Well that's a rather novel approach to language you've got there.

[angus]

As for palestine, you could have n-1 countries recognizing Palestine's sovereignty, where n is the total number of governments, but if that 1 happens to be the US, then the correct answer is no.

Well that's a rather novel approach to language you've got there.

No, the question specifically asked "if Americans were asked..."   If it said "if the Chinese were asked..." then I could see a different result being correct.  That one simply says something about international recognition.  "Inter+national+recognition"=between+states+knowing(again).  Do I know that some states know of palestine.  Sure.  Do I know of some states who do not?  Sure. 

We could argue about this all day.  For me, the correct answer would be no.  I am among those Americans who are aware that the US doesn't recognize palestine.  And neither does your country, for that matter.  If I were, say, chinese, I might say, oh, yes, my country and many others recognize Palestine. 

(For Taiwan, our answers, of course, would be reversed.)

Don't be so narrowminded.  That question has a correct answer that is very dependent on the testtaker's socialization.  We have had many threads about how the wording of tests are, unintentionally, geared so as to favor the upper classes.  Something similar is happening here.  Not intentionally, but it is ambiguously worded.  You could reword this one, if you want the specif answer to the question that I think is in your mind.  You could ask, "How many Americans know that about a hundred nations actually do formally recognize Palestine?"  That question has a much more objective answer, imho.  I would have answered that "I am aware that many nations do (e.g., I am aware of China, for one, and most African nations, and many Latin American nations), and I'm not sure of the exact number, but 100 seems reasonable."  Something like that.  but this was not so specifically worded.  To me it simply wanted to know about international recognition, and the "inter" (between) in international to me implies "between my country and palestine." 

By the way, I voted that we should recognize Palestine in the poll on this forum.  There are many reasons for that.  But at the moment our policy is that we don't.  That is, we do not currently offer an international recognition to palestine.

[t_host1]

Also, Biden is President of the Senate, not President Pro Tempe. That's Inouye (I admit I forgot who it was and had to look it up)

Ah, good.  That's another one I missed.  Fair enough. 

"congresscritters" still irks me!  Has anyone ever used, or even heard, that word before?!  If the question had asked me who my member of congress is I would easily have answered.

If we're correcting things, your answer to President of Brazil is out of date since the start of the year.
And well over 100 countries recognise Palestinian statehood.

 Palestinian statehood? Is that, that same place within the country of Israel? The same place that the USA gives $B's to the ruling governess to repress it's own people, governing those's $B's to $0's?

I can only handle One ? at a time. If I can get the premise of this one cleared up I'll try to figure out the others, if thats OK.

[Gustaf]

these questions, what % would give the correct answer?

-the current President of the United States
-the current governor of their home state
-their two senators
-their congresscritter
-the speaker of the house and PPT of the Senate
-the last three presidents before the incumbent one
-the capital of their state

-the PM of the UK
-the party from which the PM of the UK is from
-the Queen of the commonwealth realms
-the PM of Canada
-the party forming government in Canada
-the President of France
-the party from which he's from
-the Chancellor of Germany
-the party from which she's from
-the President of China
-the PM of India
-the PM of Iraq
-the Supreme Leader of Iran
-the President of Brazil
-the President of Russia
-the President of Afghanistan
-whether or not Palestine is an internationally recognized sovereign state
-the PM of Spain
-the President of Venezuela
-the President of Mexico
-the King of Saudi Arabia
-the capital of Canada
-the Governor-General of Canada

About as low as in most countries, presumably?

[Yelnoc]

For the record, 1% of Americans is over 3 million people.  I doubt 3 million Americans can name the Prime Minister of Spain.  And why should they be able to?