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Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for November 20, 2019
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
November 20, 2019: On November 20, 1789—230 years ago today—New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights. That document confirmed fundamental rights guaranteed to every American including freedom of speech and freedom of religion.[1]
The entire process was built upon a level of political trust hard to imagine in the 21st century.
Some states were hesitant to approve the U.S. Constitution itself without a Bill of Rights. However, after some negotiation, they agreed to support it in exchange for a promise that the Bill of Rights would be added later.
The very first Congress quickly honored that promise. Less than five months after George Washington took office as the first president, 12 Constitutional Amendments were proposed to the states. New Jersey acted just a couple of months later. Still, it took another two years until enough states followed New Jersey’s lead and the Bill of Rights formally became part of the Constitution.[2]
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- November 19, 2019 –22 percent of Americans know a lot about Twitter banning political ads
- November 18, 2019 –8 states have more registered voters than voting age residents
- November 15, 2019 –53 percent of Americans give to charity
- November 14, 2019 –32 members of Congress not running for re-election
- November 13, 2019 –41 percent of Americans consider the media unfriendly to the American people
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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