I happened to look up resources on the Internet that help people prepare for the citizenship test. If you’ll remember, I announced last year that the citizenship test would get harder. I was amazed to see how many sites out there charge for access to information that’s already available freely, right on the USCIS website. They’ve got a great section that shouldn’t be missed by anyone studying for the citizenship test, called Civics and Citizenship Study Materials. It’s got a lot of downloadable PDFs stuffed full of valuable information, made available to anyone, for FREE. And here’s another web page with useful citizenship-related links.
I thought I’d offer you some sample civics questions that could get asked on the citizenship test. You may not be studying to be a citizen because you earned that privilege as your birthright, but it wouldn’t hurt anyone to know the answers to these questions. In spite of what the government tells you, there’s one kind of terrorism that runs rampant, right here among us. It’s called ignorance. I’m not implying that you, my reader, are ignorant, but we’ve all seen plenty of those people, right? Some of them don’t even know basic facts like who was our first president…
Let’s all do our part to fight ignorance. It costs nothing, and nobody dies in the process. How’s that for good odds? 🙂
- What are the colors of our flag?
Red, white, and blue - What do the stars on the flag mean?
One for each state - How many stars are there on our flag?
50 - What color are the stars on our flag?
White - How many stripes are there on our flag?
13 - What do the stripes on the flag represent?
The first 13 states - What colors are the stripes on the flag?
Red and white - How many states are there in the Union (the United States)?
50 - What do we celebrate on the 4th of July?
Independence Day - Independence Day celebrates independence from whom?
Great Britain - What country did we fight during the Revolutionary War?
Great Britain - Who was the first president of the United States?
George Washington - Who is the President of the United States today?
Barrack Obama* - Who is the Vice President of the United States today?
Joe Biden* - Who elects the President of the United States?
The Electoral College - Who becomes President if the President dies?
The Vice President - What is the Constitution?
The supreme law of the land - What do we call changes to the Constitution?
Amendments - How many changes, or amendments, are there to theConstitution?
27* - What are the three branches of our government?
Executive, Judicial, and Legislative - What is the legislative branch of our Government?
Congress - Who makes the Federal laws in the United States?
Congress - Who elects Congress?
The citizens of the United States - How many Senators are there in Congress?
There are 100 Senators in Congress, two from each state. - For how long do we elect each Senator?
Six years - What makes up Congress?
The Senate and the House of Representatives - Name two Senators from your state.
The answer to this question depends on where you live. - How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?
435 - For how long do we elect each member of the House of Representatives?
Two years - Who is the head of the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government?
The President - For how long is the President elected?
Four years - What is the highest part of the Judiciary Branch of our Government?
The Supreme Court - What are the duties of the Supreme Court?
To interpret and explain the laws - What is the supreme law of the United States?
The Constitution - What is the Bill of Rights?
The first ten amendments to the Constitution - What is the capital of the state you live in?
The answer to this question depends on the state where you live. - Who is the current Governor of the state you live in?
The answer to this question depends on where you live. - Who becomes President if both the President and Vice President die?
The Speaker of the House - Who is Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?
John G. Roberts, Jr.* - What were the original 13 states?
Virginia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Georgia - Who said, “Give me liberty or give me death”?
Patrick Henry - Name some countries that were our enemies during World War II.
Germany, Italy, and Japan - What was the 49th state added to our Union (the United States)?
Alaska - How many full terms can a President serve?
Two - Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
A civil rights leader - What are some of the requirements to be eligible to become President?
A candidate for President must:- be a native-born, not naturalized, citizen,
- be at least 35 years old, and
- have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years.
- Why are there 100 Senators in the United States Senate?
Each state elects two Senators. - Who nominates judges for the Supreme Court?
The President - How many Supreme Court Justices are there?
Nine - Why did the Pilgrims come to America?
To gain religious freedom - What is the executive of a state government called?
The Governor - What is the head executive of a city government called?
The Mayor - What holiday was celebrated for the first time by American colonists?
Thanksgiving - Who was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson - When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
July 4, 1776 - What are some of the basic beliefs of the Declaration of Independence?
That all men are created equal and have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - What is the national anthem of the United States?
The Star-Spangled Banner - Who wrote The Star-Spangled Banner?
Francis Scott Key - What is the minimum voting age in the United States?
18 - Who signs bills into law?
The President - What is the highest court in the United States?
The Supreme Court - Who was President during the Civil War?
Abraham Lincoln - What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
The Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves. - What special group advises the President?
The Cabinet - Which President is called the “Father of our Country”?
George Washington - Which President was the first Commander-in-Chief of the U.S.Army and Navy?
George Washington - What was the 50th state to be added to our Union (the United States)?
Hawaii - Who helped the Pilgrims in America?
The American Indians/Native Americans - What is the name of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America?
The Mayflower - What were the 13 original states of the United States called before they were states?
Colonies - What group has the power to declare war?
Congress - Name the amendments that guarantee or address voting rights.
15th, 19th, 24th and 26th - In what year was the Constitution written?
1787 - What are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution called?
The Bill of Rights - Whose rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?
All people living in the United States - What is the introduction to the Constitution called?
The Preamble - Who meets in the U.S. Capitol building?
Congress - What is the name of the President’s official home?
The White House - Where is the White House located?
Washington, DC - Name one right or freedom guaranteed by the first amendment.
The rights of freedom of religion, of speech, of the press, of assembly, and to petition the Government - Who is Commander-in-Chief of the United States military?
The President - In what month do we vote for the President?
November - In what month is the new President inaugurated?
January - How many times may a Senator or Congressman be re-elected?
There is no limit. - What are the two major political parties in the United States today?
The Democratic and Republican parties - What is the executive branch of our government?
The President, the Cabinet, and departments under the cabinet members - Where does freedom of speech come from?
The Bill of Rights - What U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services form is used to apply for naturalized citizenship?
Form N-400 (Application for Naturalization) - What kind of government does the United States have?
A Republic - Name one of the purposes of the United Nations.
For countries to discuss and try to resolve world problems or to provide economic aid to many countries - Name one benefit of being a citizen of the United States.
To obtain Federal government jobs, to travel with a U.S. passport, or to petition for close relatives to come to the United States to live - Can the Constitution be changed?
Yes - What is the most important right granted to United States citizens?
The right to vote - What is the White House?
The President’s official home - What is the United States Capitol?
The place where Congress meets - How many branches are there in the United States government?
Three
*Answer will change with time.
Raoul Pop 