After years of sharing our civics knowledge with our listeners, we got it into our heads that it might be time to see how much you've learned. Introducing Civics 101 Trivia!
Tune in every other Saturday on NHPR to hear our most recent trivia round and that week's qualifying question. We'll draw a random listener from the pool of correct questions to play Civics 101 Trivia with hosts Nick Capodice and Hannah McCarthy. Only three questions stand between you and civics glory! Ready to play?
Here's your question: Which vice president who said that his office building, "might as well be in Baltimore" was the first VEEP to get a permanent office in the West Wing?
Note: Due to our on-air wording of this question, we will accept either the VEEP who said the above and got a permanent office OR the VEEP who had an office in the West Wing for less than a year before getting kicked back to the Executive Office Building.
If you think you know the answer, head on over to civics101podcast.org/trivia to submit. Entries must be in by 2 PM on Thursday, September 2nd! Good luck out there.
Check out our official rules page for more information.
Andrew Swan, eighth grade teacher and longtime friend of Civics 101, graced us with his talents as the inaugural guest on Civics 101 trivia. Below is a transcript of that conversation.
Hannah McCarthy: I'm Hannah McCarthy.
Nick Capodice: I'm Nick Capodice.
Hannah McCarthy: And this is Civics 101 trivia from New Hampshire Public Radio, which is partially about our listeners testing their civics knowledge and mostly about us getting the joy of speaking to our listeners.
Nick Capodice: And speaking of joy, our first ever civics and one trivia guest is the inimitable frubulous, fabulous Andrew Swan, eighth grade teacher, civics champion, and has been our pal pretty much as long as we've been around. Welcome, Andrew.
Andrew Swan: Hello. I am delighted to be here. This sounds really, really awesome and fun.
Hannah McCarthy: Andrew, as you know, today's theme is civil rights Supreme Court cases. Three questions stand between you and civics glory. Are you ready?
Andrew Swan: I... We will find out. This is how we'll find out. Let's just do this.
Hannah McCarthy: All right. Let's do it. Question one. In May of 1954, the ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education decided that segregation in public schools was not legal because it violates the 14th Amendment. What earlier Supreme Court case ruling did this decision overrule?
Andrew Swan: Ok, so Board was the 14th Amendment. That was uh... that was 1950. So this is about separate but eq- So that's Plessy -- Plessy vs Ferguson. Please don't make me say that year that it was.
Nick Capodice: Got it.
Hannah McCarthy: Got it. Well done.
Nick Capodice: All right, Andrew. Question number two, there are two clauses in the 14th Amendment that are regularly cited in civil rights cases. Usually a violation of one or both of these clauses is what gets a case to the Supreme Court. What are the names of these two clauses?
Andrew Swan: Ok, we're talking Fourteenth Amendment right. So I was just actually just preppin' on this one. So this is equal protection is one of them?
Nick Capodice: Yeah.
Andrew Swan: Equal protection under the law. And 14th Amendment also requires following due process.
Nick Capodice: Whoo.
Hannah McCarthy: Yes.
Nick Capodice: Two out of two. Andrew. Well done.
Hannah McCarthy: Last one coming at you fast, Andrew. Question three: four Supreme Court rulings, including those in Dred Scott vs Sanford and Korematsu vs United States, are considered undeniably bad and wrong. What is the term typically used to describe these four cases?
Andrew Swan: Oh, no. This sounds like a legal kind of term. I'm just a civics teacher. Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Is the word is it canon, is that? No.
Nick Capodice: So close? I'm almost tempted to give it to you, but it's the opposite. It's anticanon.
Andrew Swan: Anticanon. Ok. OK. Yeah.
Nick Capodice: I call that two and a half out of three.
Andrew Swan: I don't deserve that one. Because they're so bad. That's the whole point. Right?
Nick Capodice: Right.
Hannah McCarthy: Exactly. Alright, Nick, how many questions did Andrew get correct.
Nick Capodice: If we are tyrants about it, Andrew Swan got two out of three questions, which does make him our first ever Civics 101 trivia victor.
Andrew Swan: Two out of three ain't bad. That's what Meatloaf's said. Alright. I'll take it.
Nick Capodice: Andrew. We cannot thank you enough for being our inaugural guest and dear friend, thank you today for playing civics 101 trivia.
Andrew Swan: Thanks so much for having me on.
Hannah McCarthy: Andrew's the first, but he will not be the last. If you want to be a contestant on Civics 101 trivia in two weeks time, riddle us this: Which vice president who said that his office building, "might as well be in Baltimore" was the first VEEP to get an office in the West Wing? If you think you know the answer, submit it at civics101podcast.org/trivia. One lucky victor will join us as the next guest on NPR's Civics 101 Trivia.
Nick Capodice: Alright. That's it. Good luck out there.
