How did New Hampshire become the most libertarian state?
8 Answers

The question is asked backwards.   
The things that we consider remarkable in New Hampshire 
-- no income tax, no capital gains tax, no sales tax, no seat belt law, etc. 
-- were once common in all the states.   
The real question should be:  
    what happened to the other 49 states 
    that caused them to give up their liberties?

The nature of representation illustrates one possible factor:

If you look at number of residents represented by each state representative, 
New Hampshire has the lowest ratio in the nation, 3291 residents per representative.   
California has the highest ratio, 465,674 residents per representative.

At the town level, Town Meetings, a form of direct democracy, 
decide budget appropriations in New Hampshire.

When the person who wants to raise taxes must face his constituents 
each week at the grocery store, it makes a difference.   
Citizens have more influence than special interests.




Gaurav Bobhate Updated Jan 16 · 
Upvoted by Michael Chan, English teacher since 1997, 
taught and enabled many Chinese students to go to overseas schools


I never said she stole your money.
A clever demonstration of the flexibility of the language 
has been circulating for some years:

7 words. 7 different meanings based on the word that you stress.
1. I never said she stole your money. (Someone else did)
2. I never said she stole your money. (never said that)
3. I never said she stole your money. (implied it in some other way)
4. I never said she stole your money. (she didn't, someone else did)
5. I never said she stole your money. (may be she borrowed it)
6. I never said she stole your money. (the money wasn’t yours)
7. I never said she stole your money. (she stole something else.)






During-which-phase-of-the-moon-is-it-possible-to-experience-a-lunar-eclipse


During which phase of the moon is it possible to experience a lunar eclipse?
A. full moon

B. first quarter moon

C. third quarter moon

D. new moon


	Bruce Alan Martin
	Bruce Alan Martin, Fascinated by planets even before Sputnik 
	(and long before I became a physicist)
	Written 1h ago


The best way to take a multiple-choice test 
is to avoid looking at the multiple-guesses 
until after you have thought about the question 
(and perhaps made a prediction of possible answers, 
maybe considered some possible wrong answers, 
and at least given some thought about how to answer the actual question). 
Then, (and only then) should you begin by ELIMINATING the really bad choices 
[among the 4 or 5 to which multiple-choice tests restrict you], 
and — if more than one choice survives — 
quickly picking the one that “stinks the least”.

Now, as to your question:

If the moon is “new” then it is not visible 
(because it is only there in the daytime), 
so how can an invisible moon be “eclipsed”? 
	*** ELIMINATE A.

Now, if an eclipse can occur at 1st quarter 
(when the half moon is on one side of the planet) 
then why couldn’t an eclipse also occur during 3rd quarter 
(when the moon is at the other side of the planet)??? 

Since multiple-choice questions cannot allow TWO correct choices, 
	*** ELIMINATE both B and D.
That leaves only choice C — which, upon reflection (pun intended) seems reasonable,
since it seems silly to “eclipse” a moon that is anything but full.

These so-called “standardized” tests are not designed 
to measure the ability to find a "correct" answer, 
but rather the ability to avoid the carefully-designed 
“attractors” and “distractors” 
which comprise the limited set of choices. 
Examining the choices and seeking the “best” choice 
is a recipe for time-wasting and lower scores. 
Instead, COVER THE CHOICES 
until you have some idea of what you are looking for 
(or, better yet, what constitutes a bad choice),
quickly use a PROCESS OF ELIMINATION, 
and pick the one that “stinks the least”.

Of course, this pragmatic approach is NOT a very pleasant way of thinking — 
because these tests are NOT constructed to measure reasoning skills. 
However, it remains the most-effective way of raising scores 
on time-limited, multiple-choice tests. 
Save your reasoning skills for real-world problems and open-ended solutions; 
for these phony “standardized” tests, 
you must use “test-prep” strategies to raise your score!

 For further comments on the failures and fallacies 
of “standardized” multiple-choice examinations, 
read “The Tyranny of Testing” by Banesh Hoffman.  


One reason why multiple-choice “standardized” tests are so bad 
is that they must use a very limited sampling 
(and cheap, computer-based grading) 
to predict human abilities that requires a more-accurate evaluation 
that a very-brief collection of answers from a limited set of choices. 
In order to sell these lucrative products, the test-makers must “validate” 
each question by manipulating the available choices, 
in order to show some positive correlation between test results 
and what is allegedly being measured. 

In turn, this validation process requires creation of 
“attractors” among the undesired choices, 
in order to steer a sufficient number of otherwise-qualified candidates 
away from the intended choice 
(and also tempts the more-thoughtful test-takers 
to waste more time pursuing perfection).

More often than not, this process selectively impacts 
the more-creative or innovative free-thinkers, 
thereby resulting in a more-uniform output 
of mundane conformists in college admissions.

+++ Also thank TPR 
for insight into the fallcies of "standardized" testing. 
(and a better understanding of how the pressure for 
"statistical validation" corrupts the outomes a
and negates any plausible validity for these tests.) +++