National Political Awareness Test
Encyclopedia
The Political Courage Test (formerly the National Political Awareness Test, NPAT) is an American
initiative intended to increase transparency in American politics
.
It is part of the voter education organization Project Vote Smart
's candidate information program. With a view towards elections, the test seeks to obtain answers from election candidates, describing their respective stances on a variety of popular issues in American politics. This information is then made available to voters in a selection-driven, standardized format.
According to the Project Vote Smart website, "It asks candidates one central question: 'Are you willing to tell citizens your positions on the issues you will most likely face on their behalf?'"
The response to the Political Courage Test has dropped, from 72% in 1996 to 48% in 2008, because politicians from both parties are afraid that challengers will use their responses out of context in attack ads, according to The Wall Street Journal
. Rep. Anne Gannon, Democratic leader pro tempore of the Florida House of Representatives
, stated: "We tell our candidates not to do it. It sets them up for a hit piece." In response, Project Vote Smart has tried to shame politicians into it, and lets them leave up to 30% of answers blank.
Despite the fact that 2008 presidential candidate John McCain
took the 2004 test and requested other politicians to take 2006 test, he refused to take the 2008 test. Other presidential candidates, including Barack Obama
, Hillary Clinton, and Ron Paul
, also refused to take the 2008 test.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
initiative intended to increase transparency in American politics
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
.
It is part of the voter education organization Project Vote Smart
Project Vote Smart
Project Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
's candidate information program. With a view towards elections, the test seeks to obtain answers from election candidates, describing their respective stances on a variety of popular issues in American politics. This information is then made available to voters in a selection-driven, standardized format.
According to the Project Vote Smart website, "It asks candidates one central question: 'Are you willing to tell citizens your positions on the issues you will most likely face on their behalf?'"
The response to the Political Courage Test has dropped, from 72% in 1996 to 48% in 2008, because politicians from both parties are afraid that challengers will use their responses out of context in attack ads, according to The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
. Rep. Anne Gannon, Democratic leader pro tempore of the Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
, stated: "We tell our candidates not to do it. It sets them up for a hit piece." In response, Project Vote Smart has tried to shame politicians into it, and lets them leave up to 30% of answers blank.
Despite the fact that 2008 presidential candidate John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
took the 2004 test and requested other politicians to take 2006 test, he refused to take the 2008 test. Other presidential candidates, including Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, Hillary Clinton, and Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
, also refused to take the 2008 test.