Democracy depends on an informed electorate. Western civilisation is in a lot of trouble.

How tedious are politicians? Stop and think: Would you rather listen to one talk, or watch paint dry? Don't think about it too long. We hope you'll find this quiz helpful and enlightening, and not too awfully boring.

Here are the exciting answers.

1. Who elected George Washington president in 1789?
   
   • The Electoral College
   
   
   A civics student would say, 'Duh. That's in the Constitution.' But in 1789, the states just elected electors – two per state that had already ratified the Constitution, making ten states in all, because three were slowpokes. The electors were unanimous: Washington was the logical choice. Want more? Check out the Digital Encyclopedia of George Washington. (Not made up.)
2. US women first voted in…
   
   • 1776
   
   
   Yep. In New Jersey. But only if they owned their own property, which meant that women voters in New Jersey were single. Women only lost the right to vote in New Jersey in 1807, as the result of some nasty party politics. Read all about it courtesy of the National Park Service.
3. To which former US president is candidate Donald Trump most often compared?
   
   • Jackson
   
   
   Many contemporary leaders regarded Andrew Jackson as unfit for office, including Thomas Jefferson. They worried that Jackson's hot temper would cause a war because the frontier lawyer had demonstrated his inability to let a personal insult pass without retaliation. Jackson fought a number of duels in his life: while Mr Trump has never been accused of using pistols at dawn, he has a mean Twitter finger at 3 am. Want an analysis? Check out NPR's Steve Inskeep in the New York Times.
   
4. To be a US president, it helps to be married. Only one US president has ever been a bachelor for his entire presidency. Which one?
   
   • James Buchanan
   
   
   (Grover Cleveland got married while in office, but that's another story.) Yes, of course historians believe Buchanan was gay. Get the whole story from The Washington Blade.
5. Who was the first woman to run for president in the US?
   
   • Victoria Woodhull
   
   
   Victoria Woodhull ran in 1872. Her 'running mate' – he hadn't actually agreed to this – was Frederick Douglass, which made for an interesting ticket for the Equal Rights Party. Read all about this former child preacher turned groundbreaking politician in this article by Politico Magazine.
   
6. What is the most common cause of US presidential death in office?
   
   • Assassination
   
   
   Eight presidents have died in office. Half of them were assassinated. Remind us again: why does anyone want this job?
7. As of October 2016, how many US presidents have there been?
   
   • 43
   
   
   Yes, Barack Obama is called the 44th president. They counted Grover Cleveland twice, the sneaky character. Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms.
8. Who was the only US president and vice president who was never elected to either office?
   
   • Gerald Ford
   
   
   It's complicated. When Spiro Agnew resigned as vice president in 1973, President Richard Nixon nominated Gerald Ford to replace him. Once Ford took office, Nixon was forced to resign (it was complicated), and Ford automatically became the next president. Ford became famous for falling down airplane stairs a lot.
9. It is a well-known fact that the US Constitution requires presidents to be 'natural born citizens', thus disqualifying Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, early US presidents were born as British subjects. Which president was the first to have been born a US citizen?
   
   • Martin Van Buren
   
   
   The winner is Matty Van, the pride of Kinderhook, New York. John Q Adams and Andrew Jackson were born British subjects, and Lincoln's presidency came along after Van Buren's.
10. For almost a century, most US states banned the sale of alcohol (and closed all bars) on election day. After all, voting should be a sober activity. What politician, who later became a US president, is known to have influenced a local election by buying booze for the voters?
    
    • George Washington
    
    
    Yep, George. In 1758, while vying for a seat in Virginia's House of Burgesses, Washington spent his entire £50 campaign fund on 60 gallons of liquor served to 391 voters. (He won.) Are you dying to know more about the House of Burgesses? We thought so. Check out that trusty Digital Encyclopedia of George Washington again.

We're absolutely sure of one thing: that was more than you ever wanted to know about US presidential elections. But just think: you are now armed with enough useless trivia to defend yourself effectively against political bores at the next party. Have fun, and if you're not from the US, rejoice in the fact that your elections cannot possibly be any more complicated and annoying than ours.

Dmitri Gheorgheni

24.10.16 Front Page

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