American Civic Literacy Test

[CNHT]

Jeesh doesn't 'balance of power' refer to the three branches of government? There is no answer that refers to that.

[Lasse]

Jeesh doesn't 'balance of power' refer to the three branches of government? There is no answer that refers to that.

No, there's a different 'separation of power' question. Balance of power refers to international relations

[J’raxis 270145]

Jeesh doesn't 'balance of power' refer to the three branches of government? There is no answer that refers to that.

Yeah, "separation of power" as Lasse said, and "checks and balances," are probably what you're thinking of. "Balance of power" is about nations not letting one nation become too powerful.

[ThePug]

The method for enacting that federal republic is indirect democracy.

The only democratic institution set up by the original Constitution was the House of Representatives. The entire rest of the Federal government was either elected by the state governments (which are only required to be "republican" but not necessarily democratic) or appointed/confirmed by the President and Senate. The Federal government as envisioned in 1787 couldn't be accurately described as "democratic", and in fact the Founders hated the term. They, rightly, associated it with mob rule.

Of course, that's all changed in the past two centuries. The 17th Amendment in particular. 

As for balance of power, the term itself originates with 19th Century British foreign policy, that the UK would try and keep the Continental powers evenly matched so that British intervention would decide the winner of any war. More broadly, the term could apply to any situation where an even "balance of power" is seen as keeping the peace, such as the Cold War.

[Braddogg]

The method for enacting that federal republic is indirect democracy.

The only democratic institution set up by the original Constitution was the House of Representatives. The entire rest of the Federal government was either elected by the state governments (which are only required to be "republican" but not necessarily democratic) or appointed/confirmed by the President and Senate. The Federal government as envisioned in 1787 couldn't be accurately described as "democratic", and in fact the Founders hated the term. They, rightly, associated it with mob rule.

From wikipedia: "Indirect democracy is a broad term describing a means of governance by the people through elected representatives."  I'm pretty sure that's what we have, and I'm pretty sure that's what the Constitution unamended set up as well.  I'm pretty sure that's what all the state governments had at the time as well, which means that there was a second (in the case of the Senate) or third (in the case of the Electoral College) layer in that indirect democratic process.

[Rosie the Riveter]

56/60 

Hey, don't make that face about 56 .... I only got 40 and I'm a pretty smart gal... at least I thought I was until that test 

[EthanLeeVita]

32/33 - 96.97%

[Raineyrocks]

Here's what I got:  You answered 21 out of 33 correctly — 63.64 %