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Citizenship test
Civics (History and Government) Questions for the Naturalization Test
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the supreme law of the land? | the Constitution |
| What does the Constitution do? | ▪ sets up the government ▪ defines the government ▪ protects basic rights of Americans |
| The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words? | ▪ We the People |
| What is an amendment? | a change (to the Constitution) ▪ an addition (to the Constitution) |
| What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution? | ▪ the Bill of Rights |
| What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?* | ▪ speech ▪ religion ▪ assembly ▪ press ▪ petition the government |
| How many amendments does the Constitution have? | 27 |
| What did the Declaration of Independence do? | ▪ declared our independence (from Great Britain) |
| What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence? | life ▪ liberty ▪ pursuit of happiness |
| What is freedom of religion? | You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion. |
| What is the economic system in the United States?* | capitalist economy ▪ market economy |
| What is the “rule of law”? | No one is above the law. |
| Name one branch or part of the government.* | Congress ▪ legislative ▪ President ▪ executive ▪ the courts ▪ judicia |
| What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful? | ▪ checks and balances ▪ separation of powers |
| Who is in charge of the executive branch? | the President |
| Who makes federal laws? | ▪ Congress ▪ Senate and House (of Representatives) ▪ (U.S. or national) legislature |
| What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?* | the Senate and House (of Representatives) |
| How many U.S. Senators are there? | one hundred (100) |
| We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years? | six (6) |
| Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now? | Jon Ossoff, U.S. Senator for Georgia |
| The House of Representatives has how many voting members? | 435 |
| We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years? | 2 years |
| Name your U.S. Representative. | Marjorie Tylor Greene |
| Who does a U.S. Senator represent? | All the people in the state |
| Why do some states have more Representatives than other states? | (because of) the state’s population |
| We elect a President for how many years? | 4 |
| In what month do we vote for President?* | November |
| What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? | Kamala Harris |
| If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President? | the Speaker of the House |
| Who is the Commander in Chief of the military? | the President |
| Who signs bills to become laws? | the President |
| What does the President’s Cabinet do | advises the President |
| What are two Cabinet-level positions? | Secretary of Defense ▪ Secretary of Education |
| What does the judicial branch do? | reviews laws ▪ explains laws ▪ resolves disputes (disagreements) ▪ decides if a law goes against the Constitution |
| What is the highest court in the United States? | the Supreme Court |
| How many justices are on the Supreme Court? | Nine Justices |
| Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now? | Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr. |
| Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government? | ▪ to print money ▪ to declare war ▪ to create an army ▪ to make treaties |
| Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states? | provide schooling and education ▪ provide protection (police) ▪ provide safety (fire departments) ▪ give a driver’s license ▪ approve zoning and land us |
| Who is the Governor of your state now? | Brain Kemp |
| What is the capital of your state | Atlanta |
| What are the two major political parties in the United States? | ▪ Democratic and Republican |
| What is the political party of the President now? | Democratic Party |
| What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? | Nancy Pelosi |
| There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them | Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote). |
| What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens | serve on a jury ▪ vote in a federal election |
| Name one right only for United States citizens | vote in a federal election ▪ run for federal office |
| What are two rights of everyone living in the United States? | freedom of speech ▪ freedom of assembly ▪ freedom to petition the government ▪ freedom of religion ▪ the right to bear arms |
| What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance | the United States ▪ the flag |
| What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen? | defend the Constitution and laws of the United States ▪ obey the laws of the United States |
| How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?* | 18 |
| What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy? | vote ▪ join a political party ▪ help with a campaign ▪ join a civic group ▪ join a community group |
| When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms? | April 15 |
| What is one reason colonists came to America? | freedom ▪ political liberty ▪ religious freedom ▪ economic opportunity ▪ practice their religion ▪ escape persecution |
| Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived | Native Americans |
| What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves? | Africans |
| Why did the colonists fight the British | because of high taxes (taxation without representation) ▪ because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering) ▪ because they didn’t have self-government |
| Who wrote the Declaration of Independence | (Thomas) Jefferson |
| There were 13 original states. Name three. | North Carolina ▪ South Carolina ▪ Georgia |
| What happened at the Constitutional Convention | The Constitution was written. |
| When was the Constitution written | 1787 |
| The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers. | (James) Madison ▪ (Alexander) Hamilton |
| What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for? | ▪ U.S. diplomat ▪ oldest member of the Constitutional Convention ▪ first Postmaster General of the United States ▪ writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac” ▪ started the first free libraries |
| Who is the “Father of Our Country” | (George) Washington |
| Who was the first President | (George) Washington |
| What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803? | Louisiana |
| Name the U.S. war between the North and the South | the Civil War |
| Name one problem that led to the Civil War | slavery ▪ economic reasons ▪ states’ rights |
| What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did? | freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation) ▪ saved (or preserved) the Union ▪ led the United States during the Civil War |
| What did the Emancipation Proclamation do? | freed the slaves ▪ freed slaves in the Confederacy ▪ freed slaves in the Confederate states ▪ freed slaves in most Southern states |
| What did Susan B. Anthony do? | fought for women’s rights ▪ fought for civil rights |
| Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s | ▪ World War I ▪ World War II ▪ Korean War ▪ Vietnam War ▪ (Persian) Gulf War |
| Who was President during World War I? | (Woodrow) Wilson |
| Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II? | (Franklin) Roosevelt |
| Who did the United States fight in World War II? | Japan, Germany, and Italy |
| Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in? | World War II |
| During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States | Communism |
| What movement tried to end racial discrimination? | civil rights (movement) |
| What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?* | fought for civil rights ▪ worked for equality for all Americans |
| What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States? | Terrorists attacked the United States |
| Name one American Indian tribe in the United States. | Seminole |
| Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States | Missouri (River) ▪ Mississippi (River |
| What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States? | ▪ Pacific (Ocean) |
| What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States? | Atlantic (Ocean) |
| Name one U.S. territory. | ▪ Puerto Rico ▪ U.S. Virgin Islands ▪ American Samoa ▪ Northern Mariana Islands ▪ Guam |
| Name one state that borders Canada | ▪ Maine ▪ New Hampshire ▪ Vermont ▪ New York |
| Name one state that borders Mexico. | California ▪ Arizona ▪ New Mexico ▪ Texas |
| What is the capital of the United States? | DC |
| Where is the Statue of Liberty?* | New York (Harbor) |
| Why does the flag have 13 stripes? | ▪ because there were 13 original colonies |
| Why does the flag have 50 stars?* | ▪ because there is one star for each state |
| What is the name of the national anthem? | The Star-Spangled Banner |
| Name two national U.S. holidays. | New Year’s Day ▪ Martin Luther King, Jr. Day ▪ Presidents’ Day ▪ Memorial Day ▪ Independence Day ▪ Labor Day ▪ Columbus Day |