Should a good citizen know how many votes it takes to override a veto?

[Bill McBlueState]

Feel free to jump all over me, but if you're going to present yourself as an astute citizen, I think you should have a certain basic knowledge of the Constitution.

[Betsy Ross]

1. And how many know exactly what it takes to

amend the Constitution?

[Massacure]

2. They should know 2/3, and they should know 100 and 435.

It shouldn't be hard to do the math from there.

[Bretttido]

11. They might round up or down though, then chaos will erupt in the streets!

[Mabus]

3. They should also know there is more than one kind of veto n/t

[Sammy Pepys]

4. I don't think...

...knowing how many votes it takes to override a veto is that critical. I'd rather have people be more aware that Congress is primary authority when it comes to spending. That fact seems to escape many.

[Bill McBlueState]

7. that's important, too

In fact, I think if most people had a good look at the Constitution, they'd be surprised at the weakness of the executive branch on paper compared to how it's evolved in practice. Not just under Bush, but going back at least 100 years.

[Benhurst]

5. How many know what The Federalist Papers are and who

wrote them, to say nothing of how many have read them and know what issues they raise?

[kerry-is-my-prez]

6. With the current population - we're lucky if they know who the VP is.

n/t

[porphyrian]

8. For a good citizen, yes. As a citizenship requirement, no. - n/t

[DanCa]

9. yep but with all the misinformation today

do you blame a person for getting confused by an exact number?

[Bill McBlueState]

10. that's understandable

I tend to be very quantitative in my thinking, so I have a tendency to expect the same of everyone else. Sorry if you felt like I was getting on your case... I didn't have anyone in particular in mind when I posted. :hi:

(Being obsessed with numbers can be a problem -- like I have to figure out tips to the nearest penny instead of just estimating like a normal person does. Then, I round up to the nearest dollar anyway. Gives me a headache sometimes.)

[DanCa]

15. No were cool

Actually I didn't think that I was being signaled out at all. You made a good valid point. I knew the veto number was above sixty I just wasn't sure on how much more it was. We are extremely cool now offense taken.

[Scribe]

12. Senator James Buckley of New York didn't know basic

Constitutional procedure. He voted against the Amendment to allow 18 year olds to vote because, he said, that should be a decision made by the States. He changed his vote the next day when it was pointed out to him that States must ratify Constitutional Amendments.

You've probably never heard of Buckley. He was a one-term Republican embarrassment elected in 1970 after a big boost from Richard Nixon. I covered his votes on the 26th Amendment and, as required, I covered it with a straight face.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

13. When I graduated from high school in 1968,

the only test required by the state for graduation that I recall was the one on the Constitution. Seems to me that that might be a good thing to go back to.

[Benhurst]

14. Students are more visual now. It takes more to get them interested.

They couldn't handle so much written material.

It's time we cut the bullshit. Nobody every cared what we liked when I was in school. The adults had some idea of what was needed and made sure we learned it whether we wanted to or not.

Your're right. Students should be required to know what's in the Constitution in order to graduate.