Quiz--Are you smarter than a Congressman?

In this Zogby poll, people were asked if they 1) strongly agree; 2) somewhat agree; 3) somewhat disagree; 4) strongly disagree; or 5) are not sure with these statements:

1. Restrictions on housing development make housing less affordable.

2. Mandatory licensing of professional services increases the prices of those

services.

3. Overall, the standard of living is higher today than it was 30 years ago.

4. Rent control leads to housing shortages.

5. A company with the largest market share is a monopoly.

6. Third-world workers working for American companies overseas are being

exploited.

7. Free trade leads to unemployment.

8. Minimum wage laws raise unemployment.

(Answers are at the bottom of the blog post.)

In a Wall Street Journal article, the survey’s author Daniel Klein determines, “The left flunks Econ 101.” “How did the six ideological groups do overall?” he asks. “Here they are, best to worst, with an average number of incorrect responses from 0 to 8: Very conservative, 1.30; Libertarian, 1.38; Conservative, 1.67; Moderate, 3.67; Liberal, 4.69; Progressive/very liberal, 5.26.”

That’s right. Conservatives and libertarians know a lot more about economics than liberals and progressives. That explains a lot about the mess we’re in, doesn’t it?

Additionally, we thought we’d offer you some questions to pose to your Senators, Representatives, and candidates at their August recess townhalls and meetings (if they are courageous enough to hold one!):

1. How did you vote (or would have voted) on the House’s global-warming/cap and trade bill? Do you promise to vote against it next time?

2. How did you vote (or would have voted) on the healthcare bill? Do you promise to vote to repeal it?

3. (To current Congressmen) Do you promise to oppose all major legislation during a Lame Duck session?

4. Do you promise to vote against a value-added tax or a national sales tax?

Thanks so much for all you do to bring light and heat to Washington--you are the heart and soul of Freedom Action!

(Occasionally we've had some of you ask how you can support our work, so we've included a new link at the bottom of these emails
for you.)

Julie Walsh
Coordinator
Freedom Action
1899 L Street, NW
Suite 1250
Washington, DC 20036
202.331.2777
FreedomAction.org
FreedomAction.net

Answers: (Rather than focusing on whether respondents answered a question correctly, the researchers instead looked at whether they
answered incorrectly. A response was counted as incorrect only if it was flatly
“unenlightened.”)

1. Restrictions on housing development make housing less affordable.

2. Mandatory licensing of professional services increases the prices of those

• Unenlightened: Disagree

3. Overall, the standard of living is higher today than it was 30 years ago.

4. Rent control leads to housing shortages.

5. A company with the largest market share is a monopoly.

6. Third-world workers working for American companies overseas are being

• Unenlightened: Agree

7. Free trade leads to unemployment.

8. Minimum wage laws raise unemployment.

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