CHAMPIONSHIP: Liberty vs. Central Valley

- The questions are getting harder, but these students are making it happen.

Two teams have advanced through several weeks of tournament play and today the biggest prize is on the line.

The Civics Bowl championship trophy.

(dramatic band music) (dramatic band music continues) - [Announcer] The Civics Bowl is made possible by Eastern Washington University, Canopy Credit Union, the Avista Foundation, the League of Women Voters of the Spokane area, and of Washington, and by viewers like you.

(dramatic band music) - Hello and welcome to the Civics Bowl championship match.

I'm your host and President and General Manager of KSPS, Gary Stokes.

Here at KSPS, we believe the need for educated citizens who know the workings of our government, understand their rights and responsibilities, and engage in civics, has never been higher.

We developed Civics Bowl to elevate the importance of civics education among students, their families, and those of you watching from home.

If you've been watching, you know it's been a competitive tournament so far.

These students, and our future, are bright.

Let's take a look at the bracket.

We started with 10 teams from Spokane area high schools.

Today the final two teams, Liberty High School, and Central Valley High School, will battle it out in the final match of the season.

The winner takes home the Civics Bowl championship trophy, and major bragging rights for their school.

Let's meet each team.

Liberty, welcome back.

Please introduce yourselves starting with Eli.

- Hi, I'm Eli.

- Hey, I'm Isabelle.

- I'm Mitchell.

- I'm Henry.

- Thank you very much.

And in the audience we have Liberty's alternate, Dylan, and their coach, Ken Van Sickle.

Thank you Liberty, and you'll be facing Central Valley.

Let's meet them again.

- Hi, I'm Zak.

- I'm Abigail.

- I'm Izzy.

- I'm Brian.

- And we want to also welcome the alternate from CV, Jameson, and their coach, Rob Rowe.

Congratulations on making it to the championship match, teams.

That's an accomplishment to be proud of.

I hope you're ready.

We've saved the hardest questions for today's match, which by the way, were prepared by volunteers from the Spokane branch of the League of Women Voters.

We thank them for their continued work in support of Civics Bowl.

(dramatic music) Okay, let's get the championship match underway.

We'll start with the tossup round.

In this round I'll ask a tossup question to all of the players.

You must wait until I've finished reading the question, then you can buzz in to answer.

Whichever team answers the tossup question correctly will receive a bonus question.

All questions in this round are worth 10 points.

There is no deduction for wrong answers.

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

Teams, are you ready?

Let's go.

Nominations to fill elective office are made in five different ways in the United States.

Name two of these ways.

(contestant beeping) Izzy?

- Initiative by the people, and appointment by the executive branch.

- [Gary] That is incorrect.

(contestant beeping) Mitchell?

- Nominating conventions, and caucuses?

- That is correct and you get the bonus.

Whenever a write-in candidate appears in an election, which method of candidate nomination has been used?

- Write-in nomination?

- Self announcement.

Self announcement.

Okay, both teams are back in it.

What do you call a group of like-minded people who meet to select the candidates they will support in an upcoming election?

(contestant beeping) - [Gary] Brian?

- An interest group.

- [Gary] That is incorrect.

(contestant beeping) Mitchell?

- Caucus.

- That is correct.

And here's your bonus.

In 1763, why did John Adams express his disapproval for Boston's caucus club?

- Because he felt that they were too elitist.

- Judges say, yes.

All right, toss up both teams.

Some critics argue that the American two-party system should be replaced with a multi-party arrangement.

What is the benefit of a multi-party system?

(contestant beeping) Izzy.

- There isn't two sides causing gridlock and causing there to be like no legislation passed because both groups are pitted against each other.

- That is correct, and here's your bonus.

Name one way that a multi-party system can also be a weakness.

- There's no clear majority - That is correct.

Toss up, both teams.

Third party candidates can impact a presidential election without getting a single electoral vote.

According to some analysts, which third party candidate had an effect on the 2000 election between George W Bush and Al Gore?

(contestant beeping) Isabel.

- Ross Perot.

- [Gary] That is incorrect.

CV?

Ralph Nader.

Ralph Nader.

All right, here's your next question, both teams.

This is a tossup video question.

- Hi, I'm Spokane County Commissioner, Al French.

I represent the west side of the county, which includes parts of South Hill and Airway Heights.

Here's your question.

Name the charter initiated by English barons who were seeking protection from the king's endless wars and taxes in the year 1215.

(contestant beeping) - [Gary] Mitchell?

- Magna Carta.

- [Gary] That is correct, and here's your bonus.

- The Magna Carta was an important document that influenced the framers of the US Constitution.

Named one right the Magna Carta guaranteed.

- Representation before taxes are levied.

- That is correct.

Toss up, both teams.

What constitutional amendment allows for the removal of a president due to disability severe enough to prevent him or her from performing the duties of the office?

(contestant beeping) Mitchell.

- The 25th.

- That is correct, and here's your bonus.

A president has temporarily transferred power to a vice president under the provisions of the 25th Amendment just four times.

Name the president and the vice president in one case.

- Joe Biden and Kamala Harris?

- That is correct.

Here we are.

Toss up, both teams.

Name the sole formal duty of the Vice President originally assigned by the Constitution.

(contestant beeping) Zak.

- President of the Senate.

- That is correct.

What additional duty did the 25th Amendment assign to the Vice President?

- He is the first in line of succession to the president.

- That is incorrect.

It's to help decide the question of presidential disability.

Here's your toss up, both teams.

How many vice presidents have succeeded to president due to a president's death?

(contestant beeping) Mitchell?

- Six.

- [Gary] That is incorrect.

You may steal.

(contestant beeping) - Three.

- Eight.

Eight.

Here's your next toss up.

Who nominates the successor when there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, according to the 25th Amendment of the Constitution?

(contestant beeping) Zak.

- Speaker of the house.

- [Gary] That is incorrect.

(contestant beeping) Mitchell.

- The President.

- That is correct.

And the bonus goes to you.

Who must confirm by a majority vote, the nomination of a new Vice President according to the 25th Amendment of the Constitution?

- Both houses of Congress?

- That is correct.

Here's a toss up and from one of our guest presenters.

- Hi, I'm Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

I represent Washington's 5th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives, which includes Spokane and all of eastern Washington.

Here is your question.

What is the longest article of the US Constitution?

(contestant beeping) - [Gary] Izzy.

- Article 1?

- That is correct and here is your bonus.

- What is the purpose of Article 1?

- To establish the powers of a legislative branch.

- That is correct.

Toss up, both teams.

Switching to state government now.

Which branch decides which taxes the state will impose.

(contestant beeping) Mitchell.

- The legislative branch.

- That is correct.

And here's your bonus.

What type of taxes produce the most income in the majority of states, like Washington?

- Sales tax?

- That is correct.

All right, teams toss up.

We have another video question for you.

- Hi, I'm Washington State Representative Marcus Riccelli.

I represent Washington State's 3rd legislative district, which is right in the heart of Spokane.

Here is your question.

How many state representatives serve in each legislative district in Washington state?

(contestant beeping) - [Gary] Zak?

- Two.

- That is correct.

And the bonus goes to you, and this is our last question.

- How often are Washington State representatives like myself, elected?

- Every two years.

- Every two years is correct, (bell ringing) and that wraps up this round.

Well done teams, well done.

We'll be back in a moment to chat with our players one final time, and play my favorite round, the head to head round.

See you soon.

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

First Lady is the official title for the President's wife.

Occasionally the job has fallen to daughters, sisters, and other close family.

Who was the most recent sitting president to need a First Lady pinch hitter?

Woodrow Wilson, Warren G Harding, Lyndon B Johnson or Richard M. Nixon?

The correct answer is A. Woodrow Wilson's daughter, Margaret, assumed the role of White House hostess after her mother's death in 1914.

First Ladies do not have a direct role in the President's administration, but from Martha Washington onward, these women have made their mark on American history.

Betty Ford, for example, was known for her support of equal rights for women.

Barbara Bush launched a national effort to end illiteracy, and Nancy Reagan had her Just Say No to Drugs campaign.

The work of presidential spouses will continue to evolve in the coming years, as the role of ceremonial figure will almost certainly become a thing of the past, not to mention the arrival of the nation's first First Gentleman.

(dramatic music) - We're back on the head-to-head set now, where players will face each other one-on-one.

Teams, here are the rules.

Just as with the last round, you must wait for me to finish asking the question, then you can buzz in to answer.

Correct answers are worth 10 points.

No deduction for wrong answers.

And teams, you are not allowed to work together in this round.

Let's remind everyone of the scores.

Liberty 110, Central Valley 70.

Contestants, are you ready?

Let's go.

Under the Articles of Confederation, the founding document that preceded the US Constitution, which branch of the federal government had the power to tax the states?

(contestant beeping) Liberty?

- The Congress of the Confederation?

- That is incorrect.

- None of them.

- None of them is correct, next.

The office of the Vice President has twice been filled according to the 25th Amendment.

Name one of those Vice Presidents.

(contestant beeping) - William Howard Taft.

- That is incorrect.

(beeping) - Gerald Ford in 1973, Nelson Rockefeller in 1974.

Next, what do we call a provision unlikely to pass on its own merit that is attached to an important bill or resolution that is certain to pass.

(contestant beeping) - A rider.

- That is correct.

What is the nickname based on an old-fashioned desk part, for burying a bill or allowing it to die in committee?

(contestant beeping) - Tabling it.

- That is incorrect.

- Killing it.

- Incorrect, pigeonholing, pigeonholing.

What kind of petition may a member of the House of Representatives use to rescue a bill or resolution that has been pigeonholed in committee?

(contestant beeping) - Discharge.

- That is correct.

What independent federal agency is responsible for construction and operation of public buildings, purchase and distribution of supplies and equipment, and management of real property?

(contestant beeping) - Transport agency.

- Incorrect.

- Department.

I don't know.

- General Services Administration.

Next, which judicial philosophy is used when a case is decided on the basis of the original intent of the framers of the Constitution, and precedent?

(contestant beeping) - Stare decisis.

- Stare decisis?

Incorrect.

- Judicial review?

- Judicial restraint.

Next.

Which judicial philosophy involves interpreting and applying provisions of the constitution and statutes in light of ongoing changes and conditions and values in our country?

(contestant beeping) - Constitutionalism.

- That is correct.

Next, under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, what did some states with a history of voter discrimination have to get before enacting new voting laws?

(contestant beeping) - Federal approval.

- That is correct.

Next, in 2013 the Supreme Court eliminated the pre-clearance requirement, why?

(contestant beeping) - Because it was unconstitutional.

- That is incorrect.

The court found the formula used to determine which states had to comply was outdated.

Next, after the Supreme Court eliminated pre-clearance, what did some states do?

(beeping) Enacted new voting laws and restrictions.

And here is your last question.

What months or annual timeframe is the Supreme Court in session?

(contestant beeping) - January through August.

- Incorrect.

- January through June.

- Incorrect, the court is in session for nine months, October to early May.

(bell ringing) And that wraps up this round.

Don't go anywhere.

The category round is coming up next.

(dramatic music) Welcome back.

It's time for the category round.

This round teams will answer questions from the following categories.

Colonial governments, midterms, capitalism, legislature in session, and miscellaneous.

Each category has five questions that increase in point value from 10 to 30.

Teams will alternate choosing a category.

You can pick any category, however you cannot jump ahead in point value.

Points are deducted for wrong answers in this round.

You'll work together to answer each question.

And remember, there's some strategy involved in this round.

You can pass on a question, which means you can choose not to answer, and no points will be deducted.

You can also toss a question to the other team.

The receiving team is then forced to answer that question, and either win or lose the associated points, but you can only toss a question three times, so use them wisely.

Let's remind everyone of the score.

Liberty 130, Central Valley 100.

Okay teams, if you're ready, let's begin.

Central Valley you have the first pick.

- Capitalism.

- Capitalism for 10.

Once again, here's Spokane County Commissioner Al French with your video question.

- Capitalism is often referred to as a free enterprise system.

This system needs a free market.

What is a free market?

(tense music) - An unregulated market without government intervention.

- That is true and correct.

Liberty?

- Midterms for 10.

- Midterms for 10.

All eyes are on US midterm elections, because the balance of power in the House and Senate is at stake, and often does change.

Name one way the 2022 elections impacted the balance of power.

- They shifted the House from Democratic to Republican control thereby resulting in a divided Congress.

- That is correct.

CV.

- Capitalism.

- Capitalism for 15.

Name two of the four fundamental factors of capitalism.

(tense music) - Free from government regulation and competition.

- That is true and correct.

Next.

- [Liberty] Midterms.

- Midterms for 15.

Once again, here's US representative Cathy McMorris Rogers with your video question.

- A new party in control of the US House means a new Speaker of the House.

Who did the members of the House select for this vital position back in January?

- Kevin McCarthy.

- [Gary] That is correct.

- [Central Valley] Midterms.

- Midterms for 20.

In one Senate race during the 2022 midterm elections, no candidate received the required number of votes needed to win.

A runoff election was held weeks later.

This is a two-part question.

Tell us which state this happened in, and who won the runoff election.

(tense music) - Pass.

- Georgia, and incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock, were the answers to that question.

All right, Liberty.

- [Liberty] Midterms.

- Midterms for 25, in Washington state, One US Senate seat was on the ballot in 2022.

Another two-parter.

Name the two candidates in this highly publicized battle, and the winner.

- Tiffany Smiley and Patty Murray, and the incumbent Patty Murray won.

- That is correct.

CV.

- [Central Valley] Midterms.

- And this closes out the category.

The US representative for Eastern Washington, Cathy McMorris Rogers, held onto her seat in the 2022 midterms.

How long has Representative McMorris Rogers served in the House?

(tense music) - 19 years, but 18 as of the election, 2022.

- That is correct.

And that closes that category.

Liberty.

- [Liberty] Capitalism for 20.

- Capitalism for 20.

The freedom to enter or start a new business at any time leads to competition.

Why is competition good for the consumer in a free enterprise system?

- Because it results in more options, and companies have to compete with each other to provide the best prices at the lowest cost.

- That is correct.

- [Central Valley] Capitalism - For 25, which 1891 law was passed to foster competition and prevents monopoly establishment?

- The Sherman Antitrust Act.

- [Gary] Correct, Liberty.

- [Liberty] Capitalism for 30.

- Closing out the category, how does the law of supply and demand determine the price of goods?

- As the supply of a good increases, the price decreases, and as the supply decreases, the price increases.

- That is correct.

And that closes out that category.

- [Central Valley] Legislature in session.

- In what city does the Washington State Legislature meet?

- Olympia.

- That is correct.

- [Liberty] Legislature in session.

- 15 point category.

And here's your question.

- The Washington State Legislature convenes for two kinds of sessions, a short session and a long session.

What is the primary purpose of the long session, which is held every other year?

- To approve the state budget?

- That is correct.

- [Central Valley] Legislature in session.

- The Washington State Legislature is in session currently.

Which type of session is underway this year?

- Pass.

- That would be the long session.

The long session.

Liberty.

- [Liberty] Legislature in session.

- What type of session is called if the Washington Legislature does not finish its work on time.

- A special session.

- That is correct.

- [Central Valley] Miscellaneous.

- Miscellaneous for 10.

What is the title of the United States National Anthem?

- "The Star Spangled Banner."

- That is correct.

Liberty.

- [Liberty] Legislature in session, 30.

- For 30 points, why did the authors of the Washington State Constitution want legislators to work part-time?

- To be closer in touch with their constituents?

- That is correct.

And that closes out that category.

- [Central Valley] Miscellaneous.

- Miscellaneous for 15, and this is your last question.

The word civic is spelled the same forwards and backwards.

What do we call this kind of word?

- A palindrome.

- That is correct.

And that wraps up (bell ringing) that category, and we'll have an update on the scoring right after this, for the all important lightning round.

(audience applauding) (dramatic music) Welcome back.

This is it teams, your last chance to add as many points as possible.

In the lightning round, We'll put 1:30 on the clock.

Each question is worth 20 points.

Points are deducted for wrong answers.

You answer individually in this round.

No conferring is allowed.

Let's get a final check on the score.

Central Valley 215, Liberty 300.

Teams, are you ready?

Let's go.

What function of government does the Constitution mention more than any other?

(contestant beeping) Mitchell.

- Legislating.

- Incorrect, defense.

Which amendment declares that no state may be sued in a federal court by a citizen of another state or by a citizen of any foreign state?

(contestant beeping) Zak.

- The 11th.

- That is correct.

Which president used an executive order to desegregate the US Armed Forces?

(contestant beeping) Mitchell.

- Harry Truman.

- Correct.

- The president has the power to remove any federal officers they have appointed with one exception, name the exception.

(contestant beeping) Mitchell.

- Supreme Court Justices.

- Judge?

Correct, who decides which cases the government should ask the Supreme Court to review?

(contestant beeping) Mitchell.

- Solicitor General.

- Correct, what amendment did the Civil Rights laws of 1957, 1960, and 1964 enforce?

(contestant beeping) Mitchell.

- 15th?

- That is correct.

By controlling what stories are printed, broadcast or talked about, the media is considered a what?

(contestant beeping) Zak.

- Linkage institution.

A linkage institution.

- Incorrect, gatekeeper.

What technique of persuasion aims to create a particular belief among the audience?

(contestant beeping) Isabelle.

- Propaganda.

- Correct.

Which government agency regulates working conditions of apple pickers?

(contestant beeping) Mitchell.

- Department of Labor?

- Correct.

What is typically the last day you can send in your federal income tax forms?

(contestant beeping) Abigail.

- April 15th?

- Correct.

(bell ringing) And that wraps it up.

And it appears that Liberty with 400 to Central Valley's 235.

Liberty you are the winners of this year's Civics Bowl.

Congratulations.

(audience applauding and cheering) (dramatic music) Team Liberty, congratulations.

You are the winners of the Civics Bowl 2023 Championship Trophy.

Thank you for all your hard work, and for your dedication to civics education in our community.

And to those of you watching from home, thank you for taking part as well.

We hope you enjoyed playing along, and we'll see you next season.

(audience applauding) (dramatic music) - [Announcer] The Civics Bowl is made possible by Eastern Washington University, Canopy Credit Union, the Avista Foundation, the League of Women Voters of the Spokane area, and of Washington, and by viewers like you.

(upbeat music) If you are a regional school interested in taking part in Civics Bowl next year, we want to know.

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

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues)