ID cards to be rewarded for Civics Test

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

I am pleased to announce the Cabinet decision on distribution of physical ID cards to citizens.

The plan is that the Government will pay for physical ID cards - based upon the design of cxhn D. Txechescu - which will be mailed out to citizens upon their successful completion of a Civics Test showing their knowledge of Talossan history, government and culture.

The format of this test is envisaged to be a 20-question, multiple choice test, for which the answers will all be found in articles linked from the front page of talossawiki.com. Probably it'll be best to have about 50 questions in total and randomly choose between them for the test, to prevent simple copy-pasting.

Questions? Comments?

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I'm glad to hear the plan. Presumably this isn't happening very soon, though, since it requires developing fifty questions as well as a study guide. I think it might be a good idea to set public deadlines and a schedule for this. Could we do that, please?

[xpb]

I am assuming there will be an opportunity to have a short answer format (rather than multiple choice).  That takes slightly longer to mark but is a better method of evaluation.

Once a person has completed the test, then they in turn can be assigned to be a marker for a subsequent test by another person, which serves to reinforce the material - in this concept they would be exposed to other questions randomly assigned.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

Sounds like far too much work. Remember Talossa's crippling shortage of labour power.

Multiple-choice worked perfectly well for civics tests in the old days.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

I'm glad to hear the plan. Presumably this isn't happening very soon, though, since it requires developing fifty questions as well as a study guide. I think it might be a good idea to set public deadlines and a schedule for this. Could we do that, please?

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Sounds like far too much work. Remember Talossa's crippling shortage of labour power.

Multiple-choice worked perfectly well for civics tests in the old days.

Pinging you again, in the hopes that you will reply to my question.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

I'm not setting public deadlines and a schedule for this on this side of the election. Although if *cough* random members of the public wanted to pitch in and help, at a time when the Interior Minister is severely crushed under the weight of many commitments, then - like the New Citizens' Information Pact - that would be welcome.

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Okay, so at least we know it won't be happening anytime soon, but maybe after the election.  Thank you for letting us know the prospective timetable, at least.

[xpb]

I'm not setting public deadlines and a schedule for this on this side of the election. Although if *cough* random members of the public wanted to pitch in and help, at a time when the Interior Minister is severely crushed under the weight of many commitments, then - like the New Citizens' Information Pact - that would be welcome.

Do you envision some questions and answers similar to the following?  (these are more history / geography related and other questions might delve into culture, laws, and rights)

Q. On what date was the Kingdom of Talossä proclaimed to be an independent unit in the master plan of World Singular Secession, thus seceding from the United States of America?
A. 26 December 1979

The national flag, or the bicoloreu, is formally described in heraldic language Per fess vert and gules
Q. What does the green portion of the flag symbolize?
A. The Monarchy and its magnanimity

Q. What does the red portion of the flag symbolize?
A. The Talossans and their tenacity

Q. What is the oldest province of Talossa?
A. Vuode

Q. What is the name given to the process by which the citizens of the Talossan Republic became citizens of the Kingdom of Talossa, ending the eight-year schism that began with the Crisis of 2004?
A. Reunision

Q. What became the eighth province, with an initial population citizens from the Talossan Republic that became citizens of the Kingdom of Talossa?
A. Fiôvâ

Q. What island, which lies off the coast of Saint-Malo, France, was claimed as a colony for Talossa in 1982 and became a province in 1996?
A. Cézembre

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

Yeah, that kind of question, but multiple-choice format

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

For those keeping score, the Minister of Immigration and I have put together a draft 20-question test which is currently before Cabinet. We may well open it up for public suggestions, watch this space.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

Opening for public suggestions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CRrCA7eTF0GmlJTsvZFhITa_uZxMZF8hNEVLckV1gEY/edit?usp=sharing

Remember, ideally we'll want 50 of these

[Baron Alexandreu Davinescu]

Pretty great start!  Only a few suggestions.

#4 touches on a pretty sharp nerve by recognizing the secession of territory when the Republic formed, and also seems to suggest that the Republic was just absorbed into the Kingdom, which the terms of Reunision state wasn't quite the case (even if we sometimes speak in that shorthand).  Both entities chose to merge together, one didn't absorb the other.  Maybe it can be more neutrally phrased as, "What is the name of the event of 2012 in which the Republic of Talossa merged back with the Kingdom?"

#9 is poorly phrased.  Maybe, "Which languages inspired the creation of Talossan?"

#11 is confusingly phrased.  Maybe, "Which of these choices is NOT the name of a real Talossan political party from the past?"

#14 should probably use the full names of the offices.

[Açafat del Val]

Might it be nicer to offer coins or stamps in place of IDs? Unless we plan to use the IDs for practicable ends.

I struggle to see why we should add more bureaucracy and vanity (and ministerial burdens on some poor bloke), when we have passports and coats of arms and coins and stamps and so much else already.

[Ian Plätschisch]

Might it be nicer to offer coins or stamps in place of IDs? Unless we plan to use the IDs for practicable ends.

I struggle to see why we should add more bureaucracy and vanity (and ministerial burdens on some poor bloke), when we have passports and coats of arms and coins and stamps and so much else already.

Because it's fun and people want them.

"In taste there is no disputing"