- Government, elections, history and more.

How much do you remember from your high school civics courses?

Find out on Spokane's very first televised Civics Bowl.

Six high school teams from Spokane public schools are going head-to-head to find out who has what it takes to be this year's champion.

(bell dinging) This is our second of three first round match-ups.

The Community School versus Shadle Park.

(energetic music) - [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.

(upbeat music) - Hello and welcome.

I'm your host, Gary Stokes.

Thank you for joining us for this inaugural season of Civics Bowl.

Let's take a look at the bracket.

Last week, we watched Lewis & Clark and North Central High Schools battle it out.

North Central advanced to the semi-finals.

Today, we find out who'll earn that second spot in the semis.

Will it be The Community School or Shadle?

Welcome to our teams.

Let's meet the players from The Community School.

- I'm David.

- I'm Siera.

- I'm Davis.

- I'm Astor.

- [Gary] And Community School's alternates are John and Hudson, and they're coached by David Egly and Chelsea Duval and Shadle Park.

- Hi, I'm James Hagen.

- Conor Weber.

- Jacob Earlington - James Chew.

- And Shadle is coached by Mark Miller.

(energetic music) We'll start play with the Toss-Up Round.

All players are eligible to buzz in and answer the toss-up question.

After correctly answering a toss-up question, the winning team will receive a related bonus question.

On the bonus question, teams, you are encouraged to collaborate.

All correct answers in this round are worth 10 points.

For all questions, you must wait until I've finished reading the question to buzz in.

Players, are you ready?

Let's begin.

(deliberative music) Who was considered to be the foremost leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States?

(buzzer buzzing) James.

- Martin Luther King Jr. - Correct.

And now, the bonus, to Shadle.

What primary commitment did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. require of his followers?

- Non-violence.

- Correct.

Toss-up for both teams.

In a landmark 1974 case, which federal judge made a decision that set the stage for a radical change in the relationship, between state government and Indian tribes?

(buzzer buzzing) Davis.

- The Boldt Decision.

- It was George Boldt, correct.

The Boldt Decision ruled to protect Indian rights, in what important industry?

- Fish.

- Correct.

Toss-up, both teams, and it's time for your first video question.

Please take a look at the monitor.

- Hi.

I'm Spokane City Council Member Betsy Wilkerson.

I represent District two, which serves Central Spokane and the South Hill.

Here's your question.

Who makes up the legislative branch in the City of Spokane's government?

(buzzer buzzing) - [Gary] David.

- City council.

- Correct.

And here's your bonus, also from Council Member Wilkerson.

- And now, your bonus question.

The Spokane City Council votes on many ordinances and resolutions.

An ordinance is a legislation that changes current laws, policies, or procedures.

How is a resolution different?

(gentle music) - Is the resolution a joint statement by the council?

- No.

Shadle.

- A resolution is for disputes.

- Is a non-binding expression of City Council's values or position on an issue.

All right, toss-up.

What is the term length for a Washington State senator?

(buzzer buzzes) Conor.

- Six.

- [Gary] Community School.

- Four years.

- Correct.

And you get the bonus.

How is this different than the term of a US senator?

- A US senator is six years, whereas the state senator is four.

- Correct.

Okay, time for another video question.

Take a look at the screen.

- I'm Dr. Kevin Pirch, a political science professor at Eastern Washington University.

Here's your question.

Elections ensure the legitimacy of what?

(buzzer buzzing) - [Gary] James.

- Democracy?

- That'll work.

Shadle gets the bonus.

- And now, your bonus question.

Election results essentially inform the government of voters' wants.

Who espoused the social contract theory of the consent of the governed?

- Is it Locke?

- John Locke?

- Correct.

So next toss-up question, here we go.

Who wrote the collection of essays called "Politics," which was one of the first writings to address the study of political science?

(buzzer buzzing) Astor.

- Aristotle.

- [Gary] Correct, and here is your bonus.

Aristotle theorized that democracy was a deviant, or harmful form of government because, A, the idea was too unknown at the time.

B, it would lead the poor to work against the rich to redistribute wealth.

C, people preferred monarchy, or D, it starts with D. - B.

- Correct, it would lead the poor to work against the rich to redistribute wealth.

Next toss-up question.

What type of government did English philosopher Thomas Hobbes think was best?

(buzzer buzzing) David G. - Monarchy.

- Correct.

And here's your bonus.

Why did he prefer monarchy?

A, he believed people were too busy simply trying to survive to engage in governing?

B, he believed people gave their natural rights to a monarch in return for peace, stability, and order.

C, he believed absolute authority was necessary for effective government.

D, all of the above.

(gentle music) - [David And Siera] C. - D, all of the above.

(buzzer buzzing) And that was the last question in this round.

Well done, everyone, well done.

We're gonna tabulate the scores, and we'll be back with our next round, right after we hear from our players.

So, here's a chance to get to know all of you.

We'll start with The Community School.

And David, what is your favorite subject and why?

- I really love social studies, mainly due to the fact that I like to explore the different implications of past and historical events.

- [Gary] Right, Siera.

- English, because creative writing is one of my favorite hobbies, and going into the history of it is entertaining.

- [Gary] Davis.

- Mine would be science, because it shows us how the world works.

- [Gary] Astor.

- I really like social studies and history 'cause I could never get a grasp on math.

- We should talk later.

And over now to our friends from Shadle Park, starting with James.

- I really like AP Gov, because I love learning about how the US government works.

- [Gary] Conor.

- I like math, mainly 'cause I like numbers.

- [Gary] Jacob.

- I like science 'cause I think it's interesting.

- [Gary] And James.

- I like math and science, because I like to understand how the world works.

- Excellent.

Thank you all, it's great to get to know you all a little bit better, and stay tuned, because the Head-to-Head Round is coming up next.

(energetic retro electronic music) - [Announcer] Here's the answer to last week's question.

How much tea was dumped into Boston Harbor during the Boston Tea Party?

Well, the correct answer is D, 90,000 pounds of tea, which was contained in 342 chests.

It took more than 100 colonists nearly three hours, to empty the chests into Boston Harbor.

That amount of tea would cost nearly $1 million today.

A new brain teaser is coming up later in the show.

(energetic patriotic music) - We've now moved to the head-to-head set.

In this round, each team member will go up against a member of the opposing team, one-on-one.

Questions in this round are worth 10 points, and again, you must wait for me to finish reading the question to buzz in.

Everybody ready?

Let's begin.

If a state judge is faced with a conflict between the US Constitution and the constitution of the state where that judge presides, which constitution must the state judge follow?

(buzzer buzzing) - The national Constitution.

- Yes.

Next.

In addition to primary and general elections, there are also special elections.

What is one purpose of a special election?

(gentle music) (buzzer buzzing) - Third party candidates.

- No.

That is held locally for special use, often for school district, levy, or bond, fire districts, library districts, city and county propositions, et cetera.

There are two ways the president can oppose a bill, a veto and a pocket veto.

When does a pocket veto happen?

(gentle music) (buzzer buzzing) - Before it's introduced.

- When the president does not act on, or sign a bill into law and Congress goes out of session.

Next head-to-head.

True or false, most federal jobs require a civil service exam.

(buzzer buzzing) - True.

- False.

- Head-to-head, next, true or false, residents of Washington, D.C. have one senator.

(buzzer buzzing) - False.

- You are correct, false.

Residents of Washington, D.C. do not have a senator.

Okay, we're coming up on our last three.

Which of the following is not an enumerated power of Congress contained in Article I Section 8, of the US Constitution?

There's your list of selections.

Collects taxes, establish post offices, declare war, build a national transportation infrastructure.

(buzzer buzzing) - A, collect taxes.

- D, build national transportation infrastructure.

Next, what is the broad term for a government where the rights of citizens are ensured, minorities are protected against oppression by minorities, and individual rights are protected?

(buzzer buzzing) - [Davis] Public.

- Limited government.

And last question, prior to ratification of the Constitution, two groups offered opposing views on how government powers should be divided.

What were those two groups?

(buzzer buzzing) - [Astor] The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.

- Correct.

And that wraps up that one.

Teams, head back to your main desks.

I'm gonna do the same, and see you for the Category Round, coming up next.

(energetic music) While these students were busy practicing for Civics Bowl over the past couple of months, we also asked each to take some time to tell us why their school is the best.

Here now is a student-produced video from Shadle Park.

(air whooshes) (bagpipe music) And now, a video from The Community School.

(air whooshes) - [Interviewer] What is The Community School and how is it different from other high schools in Spokane?

- The Community School is a project-based school, so instead of having your traditional six-period day, we incorporate all of our core subject classes, into integrated projects that focus on real-world issues.

- [Interviewer] What do you like about The Community School?

- Definitely the small class size.

- [Hudson] I like the student-driven electives.

- Our guest cat mascot, Camille.

- I really like that we can have more personal relationships with the teachers and get to know them a little bit better.

- [Interviewer] Awesome.

And what is The Community School motto?

- [All] Do something that matters.

(laughing) - Exactly, yeah.

- All right (indistinct speaking) - [Man] Take me there.

- Ah, you gotta love a good mas-cat.

Okay, so now it's time for the Category Round.

We have six categories for you to choose from, each with five questions which increase in point value, from 10 to 30.

Here are your categories.

British Influence.

Who Has the Power?

These Are Special.

Principles of the Constitution.

Name That President, and The Highest Court.

Teams will alternate turns.

You can jump from category to category, but, you may not move ahead in point value.

Points are deducted for wrong answers in this round, but you can pass on a question with no penalty, or toss a question to the other team.

If you're tossed a question, you must answer, and will either win, or lose the associated points.

So you see, there's some strategy in this round.

Now, the score is Community School, 90, Shadle Park 60, and Shadle, you get to pick first.

- [Conor] We'd like to do The Highest Court.

- Highest Court for 10 points.

What does Article III of the US Constitution do?

- Sets up the judicial branch.

- Correct.

Community School.

- [Davis] We would like Principles of the Constitution.

- Principles of the Constitution for 10.

What is the highest law of the United States?

- The US Constitution.

- Correct.

Shadle.

- The Highest Court.

- For 15, the framers of the Constitution created the federal judiciary with the important power of interpreting and defining laws, passed by the legislative branch.

What was their intent?

- To check the power of the legislature.

- No, you may steal.

- Pass.

- Okay, balance power among the three branches.

Community School.

- [Siera] Principles of the Constitution.

- [Gary] Principles of the Constitution for 15.

Which of the following is not a reason, the US Constitution was established, according to the preamble?

A, to form a more perfect union.

B, to establish a treasury.

C, to provide for the common defense.

D, to secure the blessings of liberty.

- B.

- [Gary] B, to establish a treasury is correct.

Shadle.

- [Conor] Principles of the Constitution.

- The first three articles of the US Constitution establish what?

- Branches.

- Correct.

Community School.

- Principles of the Constitution.

- Principles of the Constitution, a popular category today.

What three inalienable individual rights are explicitly mentioned in the Declaration of Independence.

- Life, liberty, and property.

- [Gary] No.

- Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

- [Gary] Correct.

Okay, Shadle, you're up.

- [James] Principles of the Constitution.

- And we are closing up that category.

When there is more than one level of governmental powers, such as levels of federal, state, county, and city governments, what is that called?

(gentle music) - Federalism.

- Correct.

And the principles of the constitution is done.

The Community School.

- [Siera] British Influence.

- British Influence, for 10.

The basis of the government and legal system in the United States relied on three important sources that had shaped the British system.

Name two.

(gentle music) - The Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights.

- Correct, once and twice.

Shadle.

- [Conor] The Highest Court.

- Highest Court for 20.

In a judicial review, the Supreme Court determines whether a legislative act, is in violation of what foundational document of the US government?

- The Constitution.

- Correct.

Community School.

Davis.

- [Davis] Highest Court.

- Highest Court for 25.

According to Article III, Section 2 of the US Constitution, the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in what kinds of cases?

(team whispers) - The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in cases that they see first.

- [Gary] No.

- Federal cases.

- Nope.

All cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and councils, and those in which a state is a party.

Community School.

- [Davis] These Are Special for 10.

- These Are Special.

Public school districts are an example of special purpose districts.

Where do school districts get most of the money to fund the work they do?

- The state.

- The state.

- [Gary] Correct.

Shadle.

- [Conor] Highest Court.

- Highest Court, and we're finishing out that category.

According to the US Constitution, how many justices are to serve on the Supreme Court?

(students whispering) - It's not specified.

- That is correct, the number is not specified, and that is done.

Over to you, Community School.

- [Student] These Are Special.

- These Are Special for 15.

Here, again, is Spokane Council Member, Betsy Wilkerson.

- About 80% of the money for our public schools comes from the state government.

Where does the additional 20% come from?

- The federal government and the county.

- [Gary] No.

Pass over to Shadle.

- Property taxes.

- School levies within each district.

Back to Community School.

- [Siera] British Influence.

- British Influence for 15.

Which document or source of British influence, declared that the British Crown needed Parliament's approval to raise taxes?

- The English Bill of Rights.

- [Gary] Correct.

Shadle.

- [James] Those Are Special.

- [Gary] These Are Special.

How many people must vote in favor of a school levy, for it to be approved?

- We'd like to toss that question.

- [Gary] Toss to Community School.

How many people must vote in favor of a school levy for it to be approved?

- Majority.

- Yes, we'll take that.

Last question, Shadle.

- [James] These Are Special.

- These Are Special.

If a school board wants to ask voters to tax themselves to help pay for building new schools, or sports facilities, what is that measure called?

- We'll toss that one as well.

- A levy.

- Nope, it's a bond issue.

(buzzer buzzing) Okay, that wraps up that round, and when we come back, it will be time for the Lightning Round, but first, the question of the week.

(upbeat electronic music) - [Announcer] The name gerrymandering originated from the actions of Elbridge Gerry, the then governor of Massachusetts and soon-to-be vice president of the United States.

In 1812, he signed a bill to allow redistricting in the state for political gain, and people said the new lines looked like what animal?

A, mountain lion.

B, monkey.

C, salamander.

D, anteater.

Do you know the answer?

Follow the QR code on your screen, or go to KSPS.org/CivicsBowl to submit your answer and be entered into a drawing to win a prize.

The deadline to enter is Monday at noon.

And please, you're on the honor system here.

No Googling.

We will contact the winner directly, and let you all know thr right answer, next week on Civics Bowl.

- We have a scoring update for you.

After the Category Round, teams brought up some questions to our judges.

Recognizing the Category Round includes some large point values, and after careful consideration, there's quite a change.

The score is now Shadle Park 170, and Community School, 110.

(energetic music) So now, we are going to my personal favorite event, the 90 seconds on the clock, that will end today's Civics Bowl.

Teams, this is your chance to run up the score by answering as many questions as you can in that time.

Each correct answer is worth 20 points.

Points will be deducted for wrong answers.

Teams, are you ready?

Let's go.

A document that lays out the way a government is organized and functions and includes any guarantees of liberties and freedoms for its citizens, is called what?

(buzzer buzzing) Siera.

- Constitution.

- [Gary] Correct.

Which type of government exists when the citizens choose a legislative branch and separately choose the chief executive?

(buzzer buzzing) Siera.

- Presidential democracy.

- [Gary] Correct.

What is the practice that allows the government to take private property for public use upon payment of just compensation called?

(buzzer buzzing) James.

- Eminent domain.

- [Gary] Correct.

What word requires the government to inform anyone jailed for a crime of the charges against them?

(buzzer buzzing) David.

- Habeas corpus.

- [Gary] Correct.

Trial for all crimes with one exception must be by jury.

What is the exception to the rule, according to Article III, Section 2 of the US Constitution?

(buzzer buzzing) Conor.

- Civil trials.

- [Gary] Impeachment.

In a criminal case in the United States, who is always the plaintiff?

(buzzer buzzing) James.

- The United States.

- [Gary] The government, I'll give you that one.

20th Amendment of the US Constitution established Inauguration Day for the president and vice president.

What is that date?

(buzzer buzzing) James H. - January 6th.

- [Gary] January 20th.

Are children born to foreign diplomats living in the US, automatically citizens of the United States?

(buzzer buzzing) David.

- No.

- [Gary] You are correct.

Name the governmental body that makes policy decisions in Washington State.

(buzzer buzzing) Jacob.

- City council.

- [Gary] State legislature.

How do interest groups and their members influence public policy?

(buzzer buzzing) James H. - Donations.

- [Gary] By lobbying elected representatives.

The US Constitution sets up a two-house legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives.

What is the Latin word for this form of legislature?

(buzzer buzzing) Conor.

- Bicameral.

- [Garry] Correct.

The Founding Fathers spent more time on detailing the powers of which branch of government, Congress or the presidency?

(buzzer buzzing) Conor.

- Congress.

- Correct.

(buzzer buzzing) And that is our game.

With a score of 190 to 170, The Community School will be moving on to the next round.

Congratulations.

(all applauding) Shadle Park, you are not out of this yet.

All of the teams have the opportunity to come back later on.

We're waiting for one more semi-final match, and we could be seeing both of you back again very, very soon.

So, the remaining team with the highest score, will advance to the semis, we'll find out next week how that turns out.

The final two teams square off against one another, next Monday at 7:00 p.m.

Tune in to watch Ferris and Rogers High Schools compete.

You can also watch online at KSPS.org, Civics Bowl.

Once again, congratulations to our winners today, The Community School, and thank you so much for joining us for Civics Bowl.

See you soon.

(all applauding) (upbeat pop music) - [Announcer] The 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.

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.

(upbeat music)