(wind whooshes) (epic inspiring music) - It's time for the semifinals of Civics Bowl 2024.

We started with 10 area high school teams competing for the chance to bring home the trophy and bragging rights for Civic Bowl 2024.

(metal rings) (wind whooshes) (ceremonious upbeat music) (wind whooshes softly) (drums rolling rhythmically) - [Announcer] Civics Bowl is made possible by Eastern Washington University, the Avista Foundation, the League of Women Voters of the Spokane area, and of Washington.

And by viewers like you.

(ceremonious upbeat music) (drums rolling rhythmically) - Hello, I'm your host and president, and general manager of KSPS, Gary Stokes.

Ahead tonight, four rounds of tough questions, and a chance for you to see if you can compete with these students.

Here's a look at the bracket.

Tonight, North Central versus Rogers, as we move closer to the championship round.

Let's meet the North Central players.

- Hi, I'm Callie.

- Hi, I'm Sam.

- Hi, I'm Ezra.

- Hi, I'm Tommy.

- And we want to also welcome North Central's alternate, Sammy Mazerak, as well as their coach, John Knight.

And now the Rogers team.

- Hi, I'm Evan.

- Hi, I'm Jack.

- Hi, I'm Adrian.

- I am Jeremiah.

- And in the audience we have Roger's alternate, Michael Gunn, as well as Coach Michelle Brooks.

Up first, the Toss-Up Round.

(ceremonious upbeat music) We provided teams with rules, and there's a copy for those watching at home online, at KSPS.

In a nutshell, I'll ask a toss-up question to all players.

Only after I finish can a student buzz in with an answer.

The right answer means the winning team gets a bonus question.

You are encouraged to collaborate with your teammates only on the bonus questions.

Teams, are you ready?

Here we go.

"You must be a US citizen for at least nine years to qualify to serve in which Congressional chamber?"

(button buzzes) Tommy.

- The Senate.

- That is correct.

And here's your bonus.

"According to the US Constitution, what are the three requirements to hold the office of President of the United States?"

(North Central team members discuss faintly) (buzzer beeps) Need an answer.

- Over 35, be a natural-born citizen, and be a resident for over 13 years.

- Incorrect, that would 14 years.

14 years.

Here's your toss-up.

"Which document or source of British influence for the first time made common law readable and understandable by non-lawyers?"

(button buzzes) - Magna Carta?

- [Gary] Incorrect.

Rogers?

(buzzer beeps) - "Commentaries on English Law."

Toss-up, true or false, "The inferior or lower courts handle nearly all of the cases tried in federal courts."

(button buzzes) Tommy?

- False.

- That is true.

Toss up.

"Give two examples of direct legislation that are available to the voters of Washington State."

(button buzzes) Tommy.

- Initiative and referendum.

- That is correct.

And here's your bonus.

"How is a referendum different than an initiative to the people?"

(North Central team members discuss faintly) - Initiative is when people petition to get something on the ballot, where referendum is where it's placed on by the legislature.

- That is correct.

Toss up, both teams.

"When European nations sent settlers to lands abroad and imposed laws and religious beliefs on the people, what policy were they pursuing?"

(button buzzes) Jeremiah?

- Freedom of religion?

- [Gary] That is incorrect.

North Central?

(button buzzes) - Mercantilism?

- Colonialism, colonialism.

Here's your toss-up.

"Name two female justices currently serving on the Supreme Court."

(button buzzes) Callie.

- Ketanji Brown and then Sonia Sotomayor.

- That is correct.

And here's your bonus.

You are looking at the first African American Justice of the Supreme Court.

What was his name?

- Thurgood Marshall.

- That is correct.

And back to both teams.

"Who did James Madison appoint to be his Vice President after he lost two Vice Presidents in less than three years?"

(buzzer beeps) No one.

Madison finished his second term without a number two.

Toss-up.

"What is the name for the order by the US Supreme Court to a lower court to send its records for the Supreme Court to review?"

(button buzzes) Tommy.

- Writ of Certiorari.

- That is correct.

And here's your bonus.

"This type of brief submitted to the Supreme Court is intended to influence the court's decision by showing how such a decision may impact the general public or a specific population."

- Amicus Curiae?

- That is correct.

Toss-up, both teams.

And it's a question from Aaron Hitefield, from Whitworth.

- What is the minimum number of electoral college votes that a US state can have?

(button buzzes) - Ezra?

- Three.

- That is correct.

And here's your bonus.

"On what date will the newly-elected 119th Congress count electoral ballots from the 2024 presidential election?"

- January 6th?

- That is correct.

And that wraps up that round.

That went fast.

Well done, folks.

(all applauding) We'll be back in a moment to get to know the players and play the Head-to-Head Round.

(ceremonious upbeat music) - [Announcer] Here's the answer to last week's question.

From May 14th to September 17th, 1787, leaders gathered in Philadelphia to decide how America was going to be governed.

19 members never appeared, some declined, others just didn't show.

Only Rhode Island refused to send any delegates.

(ceremonious upbeat music) - Now we'd like to take a moment to get to know our players and their schools a little bit better.

We've asked each school to produce a video for Civics Bowl.

Here's North Central's.

- [Narrator] North Central High School is located in the heart of Spokane, Washington.

Founded in 1908, NC educates and builds the finest students in all our city to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Our students are indeed wolf-pack strong.

They persevere to achieve great things in the classroom and in the field of play.

They respect each other and our community.

They cheer loudly and proudly.

They inspire each other to be the best they can be.

They celebrate our traditions but can't wait for the future.

They discover amazing new things.

They are a family, they are a pack.

The strength of the wolf is truly in the pack at North Central High School.

(chill upbeat music) (all applauding) - Well done, North Central.

And now let's hear from each of you.

Tell us your class year, and a favorite place you visited or lived in.

Callie.

- I'm a senior, and my favorite place is probably just Spokane.

I love it here.

- My name's Sam, and I hate to say the same but I love it here in Spokane.

- Ezra.

- My name's Ezra, I'm a senior, and favorite place visited, maybe San Diego.

My name's Tommy, I'm a senior, and the favorite place I visited was Southeastern Alaska.

- Okay, thank you.

And now let's meet the Rogers players.

- Hi, my name's John Hamill, principal of John R. Rogers High School here in Northeast Spokane, the home of the Pirates.

We're a school of 1,500 students, the most diverse school in the Spokane region, and we pride ourselves on our diversity.

John R. Rogers motto is "Familia Summas," where we are a true family, supporting our students of achieving their dreams, of preparing for college, and career readiness.

Our motto supports us as we go about our day of being relentless.

Our students are relentless on the field, in the classroom, and in the Knowledge Bowl that you're gonna see here today.

- Good luck, Civics.

- Good luck, Civics.

- Good luck Rogers Civics Bowl.

Go get 'em, be relentless!

(all applauding) - Nicely done.

Evan, to you, your class year, and best place you've visited or would like to.

- Hi, I'm Evan, I'm a senior, and if I had to choose where to visit anywhere in the world, I would go to Liverpool, England.

- Nice.

Jack.

- I'm Jack, I'm a senior, and I really like visiting Long Beach, Washington, in the summer.

- Adrian.

- My name's Adrian.

I'm a senior, and I'd probably go visit Norfolk, Virginia.

- Jeremiah.

- I'm Jeremiah, I'm a junior, and I'd probably go back to Washington DC.

- Nice.

Thanks for being here, teams.

We're gonna get back to the match with the Head-to-Head Round coming up next.

But first, a thank you to the Spokane Branch of the League of Women Voters.

Their volunteers prepared hundreds of questions for this competition, and we couldn't do this without them.

Thank you for your hard work, and we'll see you next in the Head-to-Head Round.

(funky upbeat music) (all applauding) (wind whooshes softly) It is time for the Head-to-Head Round.

Again, we've got the rules online so you can follow along.

Here's a quick look at them.

You still need to wait until I finish asking the question before you buzz in.

Each right answer is worth 10 points, and players cannot work together to find the answer.

Let's go.

"Five amendments to the US Constitution have expanded voting rights.

Which individuals benefited from the passage of the 26th Amendment?"

(button buzzes) - Yes.

- 18 year olds.

- That is correct.

Next.

"The power to remove the President from office is divided between the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Identify which house has which power."

(button buzzes) - House brings up articles of impeachment, and the Senate tries those articles.

- That is correct.

Next.

"Who were the only two men to sign the US Constitution who went on to become President?"

(intriguing music) (button buzzes) - James Madison and Washington.

- That is incorrect.

(intriguing music) - I don't have an answer.

- George Washington, James Monroe.

"What House of Representatives Committee is responsible for issues such as taxes, bond debt, tariffs, and international trade?"

(button rings) - Secretary of Treasury?

- Incorrect.

- Rules committee?

- Incorrect.

Ways and Means, Ways and Means.

Next.

"Originally, the Constitution provided that members of the Senate were chosen by state legislatures, which constitutional amendment provided for the popular election of US Senators?"

(button buzzes) - 17th Amendment?

- That is correct.

Next.

"What are the three requirements to become a US senator?"

(button buzzes) - Be a resident of the state you're elected of, be a citizen for nine years, and be at least 30 years old.

- That is correct.

Next.

"Why are tribal governments not like state or federal governments?"

(button buzzes) - Because they have jurisdiction in their reservations.

- That is correct, thank you.

"What organizations within Congress exercise the oversight function over the executive branch?"

(somber intriguing music) (buzzer rings) Committees, committees.

Next.

"A citizen-initiated petition seeking a vote to remove an elected official prior to the end of their term is called what?"

(button buzzes) - A recall.

- That is correct.

"Joe Biden is the 46th president of the United States but is the 45th person to serve in the position, why the discrepancy in numbers?"

(button buzzes) - Cleveland served twice.

- That is correct.

"Other than Congress passing a bill to change it, how else can an executive order be changed?"

(button buzzes) - If the President decides to change it, he can just... - That is correct.

And last question.

"Where did the first clash between the Minutemen and the British troops occur?"

(button buzzes) - Lexington v Concord.

- That is correct.

Nicely done, teams.

(all applauding) Don't go anywhere.

Up next, these students face off in the Category Round.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] Here's important news for high school seniors.

We all know the legal age to vote is 18, but in Washington state, 17 year olds can vote in the August primary as long as they'll turn 18 before the November general election.

High school seniors, that means if you're 18 or will turn 18 before the November election, it's time to register to vote.

Only registered voters receive a ballot.

To learn more, visit VoteWA.gov.

(ceremonious upbeat music) Welcome back.

In just a few minutes we'll have a chance for folks at home to answer a civics question to see how you stack up against the best in the inland Northwest.

But before that, it's time for the Category Round.

In this round, teams will answer questions from the following categories: Lawmakers Tactics.

Your Vote, Your Voice.

Tribal Sovereignty, Party Time, and City County Governments.

Teams will alternate choosing a category, but you can't jump ahead from a 10-point question to one of higher value.

And this time points will be deducted for wrong answers.

Again, these rules are online and the student teams received them last fall.

They can decline to answer a question.

That's a way to make sure you don't lose points, and it forces the other team to answer, and you can toss the question to the other team.

They have to answer.

But a team can only toss three times.

Okay, teams, let's go.

Rogers, you're up.

- [Jack] All right, we'll take Tribal Sovereignty for 10.

- "The Centennial Accord said that state governments would respect what about the Indian tribes?"

(intriguing music) (Rogers team members discussing faintly) - Fishing and hunting rights?

- That is incorrect.

Their sovereignty and the right to govern themselves.

North central.

- Tribal sovereignty, 15.

- "As a result of the Centennial Accord, the state and the tribes would have more of a government-to-government relationship.

What is the nature of this relationship?"

(intriguing music) (North Central team members discussing faintly) - Yeah, sure.

- Co-equal relations?

- [Gary] That is correct.

Rogers - City County Government.

- City County Government.

For 10.

This question worth 10 points comes from Spokane County Commissioner Amber Waldref.

- In 2017, a Spokane County Commissioner resigned her seat, leaving a vacancy.

What government body must appoint a replacement and in what timeframe?

(intriguing music) - We'll like to toss the question.

- [Gary] Okay, North Central.

(North Central team members discussing faintly) - County commission.

- County commissioners, and must do so within 60 days.

It was the second part of that.

North Central.

- Tribal Sovereignty for 20.

- "How often do tribal and state leaders meet to review progress of the Centennial Accord?"

- As often as necessary.

- Annually and as often as necessary?

- [Gary] That is correct.

Rogers.

- [Jack] City County Government.

- "In this particular case, the county commissioners did not select a replacement.

What is the next required step in that instance?"

(intriguing music) - Can I toss the question?

- Okay.

(North Central team members chatter faintly) - Election for a county commissioner?

- That is incorrect.

The decision then moves to the governor.

And North Central, you're up.

- Oh, we'll take Tribal Sovereignty for 25.

(intriguing music) - "Name three of the seven non-federal recognized tribes in Washington state."

(intriguing music) (North Central team members chatter faintly) - I mean, they could be Yakimas, but (indistinct).

(North Central team members chatter faintly) - We'll toss.

- [Gary] Rogers.

(Rogers members discussing indistinctly) (intriguing music) (buzzer rings) Time's up.

- Coeur d'Alene, Yakima, and- - Spokane.

- Spokane.

- Chinook, Duwamish, Kikiallus, Marietta Band of the Nooksak Tribe.

Snohomish Tribe, Snoqualimoo Tribe, and Steilacoom Tribe.

Rogers.

- Take Party Time for 10.

- Party Time for 10.

"Name one of the three groups of people that make up each political party."

(intriguing music) - Elected officials?

(bell rings) That is correct.

(paper rustles) (pen tacks) - Child sovereignty for 30.

- And wrapping it up, "Why is the 1974 Boldt decision important?"

(North Central team members discuss faintly) - 50/50.

- 50/50 split between them.

- Gave fishing rights to Native Americans?

- That is correct.

All right.

Rogers.

- Party Time for 15.

- Party time for 15.

"What is the major function of a political party?"

(Rogers team members discussing faintly) - To express the will of the people and what a certain group of people want.

- That is incorrect.

Nominate candidates for public office.

North Central.

- Party Time, please.

- Party Time for 20.

"When do the Democrats and Republicans plan to hold their nominating for the 2024 presidential conventions?"

(intriguing music) (North Central team members discuss faintly) - We will decline.

- The GOP plans to meet in Milwaukee, July 15th to 18th.

Democrats will convene in Chicago, August 19th to 22nd.

Rogers.

- [Jack] Party Time for 25.

- "From the 1870s into the 1960s, which political party was dominant throughout the southern states?"

- The Democrat party.

- That is correct.

North Central.

- Party Time for 30, please.

- "What is one of the two main purposes of the Vice President nominees' acceptance speech?"

(intriguing music) - I will toss.

- To establish some of the doctrine that the new office holders will be following.

- That is incorrect.

To fire up the party faithful or to appeal to as many voters as possible.

Rogers.

- [Jack] Lawmaker Tactics for 10.

- "What is the practice of voting for only candidates in one political party called?"

(intriguing music) - Decline.

- Decline.

- (indistinct) Decline that.

- Straight ticket voting, straight ticket voting.

Go ahead.

- City County Government for 20.

- "This 20-point question is also from Spokane County Commissioner Amber Waldref.

- Does Spokane County have a charter?

- Yes.

- No.

It is the largest county in the state not to have a charter.

Rogers.

- [Jack] Your Vote, Your Voice for 10.

- In the case of a tie in the electoral college, each state in the US House gets one vote to decide on a winning candidate.

With 50 votes cast, one from each state, how many votes are necessary to select a winner?

(intriguing music) - 26.

- A simple majority of 50% plus one, you're correct.

North Central.

- [Ezra] City County Government for 25.

- "In the mayor council form of government, the powers of the mayor are split into two types, often called what?"

(intriguing music) - We'll toss.

(intriguing music) - One and two.

- (laughs) Strong Mayor and Weak Mayor.

Rogers, you're up.

- [Jack] Your Vote, Your Voice, for 15.

- "What is the federally-required practice of the US presidential candidate predicted to receive electoral votes, dies or becomes incapacitated prior to the counting of the electoral votes?"

(intriguing music) - We'd like to toss that.

(intriguing music) (North Central team members discuss faintly) - The Vice President-elect takes his place.

- Is incorrect.

There is no federally-required process.

However, individual states may have their own requirements governing how the electors must vote.

(bell rings) Okay, that wraps up that round.

Only one round remains, the Lightning Round, and it's coming up next.

Good job, everybody.

(upbeat music) (all applauding) (ceremonious upbeat music) - [Announcer] Here's your chance to play along with our Civics Bowl teams.

"Which national historical park in Washington state commemorates the peaceful conclusion to a territorial conflict known as the Pig War Crisis?"

Do you know the answer?

Scan this QR code or head to ksps.org/civics bowl to submit your answer.

You'll be entered in a drawing to win a prize.

The deadline to enter is Monday at noon.

We'll notify the winner and give the right answer next week on Civics Bowl.

(newscast upbeat music) (ceremonious upbeat music) We're just one round away from learning who will be next to advance the Civics Bowl tournament this season.

In the Lightning Round we'll put 90 seconds on the clock.

The idea is to answer as many of these 20-point questions as you can in that time.

No conferring.

And get ready to go.

Let's get a final check on the score.

North Central, 185.

Rogers, 0.

Teams, are you ready?

Let's go.

"Name the major economic system that most accurately reflects the economy of the United States.

(button buzzes) Jack.

- Capitalism.

- That is correct.

"What does FLOTUS stand for?"

(button buzzes) Ezra.

- First Lady of the United States?

- Correct.

"Which amendment to the United States Constitution defines the presidential order of succession?"

(button buzzes) Ezra.

- 25th?

- Correct.

"A democracy through which citizens choose the legislative branch, which then selects the executive from among its members is called what?"

(button buzzes) - Ezra.

- Parliamentary.

- Yes.

"Article one, Section Eight of the Constitution gives Congress the power to promote the progress of science and useful arts by securing authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries."

What are those rights called?

(intriguing music) (buzzer beeps) Copyrights and patents.

"In the field of political science, what is the name for the belief that those who have authority in government should have it?"

(buzzer beeps) Legitimacy.

"When the media brings to the public's attention any wrongdoing or problems that arise in industry, government, environment, or other areas of interest, it is doing what?

(intriguing music) (buzzer rings) Being a watchdog.

"Name the legal document showing that a permanent resident has the right to live and work in the United States.

(button buzzes) - Green Card?

- Correct.

"Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, Jean Jacques Russeau, and other political writers of the 18th century were all part of which specific time period?"

(button buzzes) Tommy.

- The enlightenment?

- That is correct.

"Does the Constitution allow concurrent service in the legislative- (bell rings) And executive branches?"

(intriguing music) The answer is no.

(bell rings) Well done, folks, that was great.

(all applauding) Let's take a look at the final scores.

And that means North Central wins and advances to the finals.

Congratulations, teams.

Thank you for being part of this.

And good luck next week.

(all applauding) (funky upbeat music) and of Washington, and by viewers like you.

If you are a regional school interested in taking part in Civics Bowl next year, we wanna know.

Go to ksps.org/civicsbowl to fill out our online contact form.

(lively music) (lively music continues)