Tag: Civics

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT 

A: Principles of American Democracy 



1. What is the supreme law of the land? 

. the Constitution 



2. What does the Constitution do? 

. sets up the government 

. defines the government 

. protects basic rights of Americans 



3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words? 

. We the People 



4. What is an amendment? 

. a change (to the Constitution) 

. an addition (to the Constitution) 



5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution? 

. the Bill of Rights 



6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?* 

. speech 

. religion 

. assembly 

. press 

. petition the government 



7. How many amendments does the Constitution have? 

. twenty-seven (27) 



8. What did the Declaration of Independence do? 

. announced our independence (from Great Britain) 

. declared our independence (from Great Britain) 

. said that the United States is free (from Great Britain) 



9. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence? 

. life 

. liberty 

. pursuit of happiness 



10. What is freedom of religion? 

. You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion. 



11. What is the economic system in the United States?* 

. capitalist economy 

. market economy 



12. What is the "rule of law"? 

. Everyone must follow the law. 

. Leaders must obey the law. 

. Government must obey the law. 

. No one is above the law. 



B: System of Government 



13. Name one branch or part of the government.* 

. Congress 

. legislative 

. President 

. executive 

. the courts 

. judicial 



14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful? 

. checks and balances 

. separation of powers 



15. Who is in charge of the executive branch? 

. the President 



16. Who makes federal laws? 

. Congress 

. Senate and House (of Representatives) 

. (U.S. or national) legislature 



17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?* 

. the Senate and House (of Representatives) 



18. How many U.S. Senators are there? 

. one hundred (100) 



19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years? 

. six (6) 



20. Who is one of your state's U.S. Senators now?* 

. Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories should answer that D.C. (or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. Senators.] 



21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members? 

. four hundred thirty-five (435) 



22. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years? 

. two (2) 



23. Name your U.S. Representative. 

. Answers will vary. [Residents of territories with nonvoting Delegates or Resident Commissioners may provide the name of that Delegate or Commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has no (voting) Representatives in Congress.] 



24. Who does a U.S. Senator represent? 

. all people of the state 



25. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states? 

. (because of) the state's population

. (because) they have more people
 
. (because) some states have more people 



26. We elect a President for how many years? 

. four (4) 



27. In what month do we vote for President?* 

. November 



28. What is the name of the President of the United States now?* 

. Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the President of the United States.



29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? 

. Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Vice President of the United States.



30. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President? 

. the Vice President 



31. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President? 

. the Speaker of the House 



32. Who is the Commander in Chief of the military? 

. the President 



33. Who signs bills to become laws? 

. the President 



34. Who vetoes bills? 

. the President 



35. What does the President's Cabinet do? 

. advises the President 



36. What are two Cabinet-level positions? 

. Secretary of Agriculture 

. Secretary of Commerce 

. Secretary of Defense 

. Secretary of Education 

. Secretary of Energy 

. Secretary of Health and Human Services 

. Secretary of Homeland Security 

. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 

. Secretary of the Interior 

. Secretary of Labor 

. Secretary of State 

. Secretary of Transportation 

. Secretary of the Treasury 

. Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

. Attorney General 

. Vice President 



37. What does the judicial branch do? 

. reviews laws 

. explains laws 

. resolves disputes (disagreements) 

. decides if a law goes against the Constitution 



38. What is the highest court in the United States? 

. the Supreme Court 



39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court? 

. Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the number of justices on the Supreme Court. 



40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now? 

. Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Chief Justice of the United States. 



41. 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 



42. 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 use 



43. Who is the Governor of your state now? 

. Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. does not have a Governor.] 



44. What is the capital of your state?* 

. Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital. Residents of U.S. territories should name the capital of the territory.] 



45. What are the two major political parties in the United States?* 

. Democratic and Republican 



46. What is the political party of the President now? 

. Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the political party of the President. 



47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? 

. Visit uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates for the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 



C: Rights and Responsibilities 



48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them. 

. Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote). 

. You don't have to pay (a poll tax) to vote. 

. Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.) 

. A male citizen of any race (can vote). 



49. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?* 

. serve on a jury 

. vote in a federal election 



50. Name one right only for United States citizens. 

. vote in a federal election 

. run for federal office 



51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States? 

. freedom of expression 

. freedom of speech 

. freedom of assembly 

. freedom to petition the government 

. freedom of religion 

. the right to bear arms 



52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance? 

. the United States 

. the flag 



53. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen? 

. give up loyalty to other countries 

. defend the Constitution and laws of the United States 

. obey the laws of the United States 

. serve in the U.S. military (if needed) 

. serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed) 

. be loyal to the United States 



54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?* 

. eighteen (18) and older 



55. 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 

. give an elected official your opinion on an issue 

. call Senators and Representatives 

. publicly support or oppose an issue or policy 

. run for office 

. write to a newspaper 



56. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?* 

. April 15 



57. When must all men register for the Selective Service? 

. at age eighteen (18) 

. between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26) 



AMERICAN HISTORY 

A: Colonial Period and Independence 



58. What is one reason colonists came to America? 

. freedom 

. political liberty 

. religious freedom 

. economic opportunity 

. practice their religion 

. escape persecution 



59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived? 

. American Indians 

. Native Americans 



60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves? 

. Africans 

. people from Africa 



61. 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 



62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? 

. (Thomas) Jefferson 



63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? 

. July 4, 1776 



64. There were 13 original states. Name three. 

. New Hampshire 

. Massachusetts 

. Rhode Island 

. Connecticut 

. New York 

. New Jersey 

. Pennsylvania 

. Delaware 

. Maryland 

. Virginia 

. North Carolina 

. South Carolina 

. Georgia 



65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention? 

. The Constitution was written. 

. The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution. 



66. When was the Constitution written? 

. 1787 



67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers. 

. (James) Madison 

. (Alexander) Hamilton 

. (John) Jay 

. Publius 



68. 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 



69. Who is the "Father of Our Country"? 

. (George) Washington 



70. Who was the first President?* 

. (George) Washington 



B: 1800s 



71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803? 

. the Louisiana Territory 

. Louisiana 



72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s. 

. War of 1812 

. Mexican-American War 

. Civil War 

. Spanish-American War 



73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South. 

. the Civil War 

. the War between the States 



74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War. 

. slavery 

. economic reasons 

. states' rights 



75. 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 



76. 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 



77. What did Susan B. Anthony do? 

. fought for women's rights 

. fought for civil rights 



C: Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information 



78. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.* 

. World War I 

. World War II 

. Korean War 

. Vietnam War 

. (Persian) Gulf War 



79. Who was President during World War I? 

. (Woodrow) Wilson 



80. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II? 

. (Franklin) Roosevelt 



81. Who did the United States fight in World War II? 

. Japan, Germany, and Italy 



82. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in? 

. World War II 



83. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States? 

. Communism 



84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination? 

. civil rights (movement) 



85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?* 

. fought for civil rights 

. worked for equality for all Americans 



86. What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States? 

. Terrorists attacked the United States. 



87. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States. 

[USCIS Officers will be supplied with a list of federally recognized American Indian tribes.] 

. Cherokee 

. Navajo 

. Sioux 

. Chippewa 

. Choctaw 

. Pueblo 

. Apache 

. Iroquois 

. Creek 

. Blackfeet 

. Seminole 

. Cheyenne 

. Arawak 

. Shawnee 

. Mohegan 

. Huron 

. Oneida 

. Lakota 

. Crow 

. Teton 

. Hopi 

. Inuit 



INTEGRATED CIVICS 

A: Geography 



88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States. 

. Missouri (River) 

. Mississippi (River) 



89. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States? 

. Pacific (Ocean) 



90. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States? 

. Atlantic (Ocean) 



91. Name one U.S. territory. 

. Puerto Rico 

. U.S. Virgin Islands 

. American Samoa 

. Northern Mariana Islands 

. Guam 



92. Name one state that borders Canada. 

. Maine 

. New Hampshire 

. Vermont 

. New York 

. Pennsylvania 

. Ohio 

. Michigan 

. Minnesota 

. North Dakota 

. Montana 

. Idaho 

. Washington 

. Alaska 



93. Name one state that borders Mexico. 

. California 

. Arizona 

. New Mexico 

. Texas 



94. What is the capital of the United States?* 

. Washington, D.C. 



95. Where is the Statue of Liberty?* 

. New York (Harbor) 

. Liberty Island 

[Also acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River).] 



B: Symbols 



96. Why does the flag have 13 stripes? 

. because there were 13 original colonies 

. because the stripes represent the original colonies 



97. Why does the flag have 50 stars?* 

. because there is one star for each state 

. because each star represents a state 

. because there are 50 states 



98. What is the name of the national anthem? 

. The Star-Spangled Banner 



C: Holidays 



99. When do we celebrate Independence Day?* 

. July 4 



100. 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 

. Veterans Day 

. Thanksgiving 

. Christmas 

Advocate: agree with and tell others about an idea.

Aliases: different names you use
Arrested: taken to jail by the police.
Bear arms: to own or use a gun.

Cited: given a ticket by the police
Civilian: a person who is not in the military.

Claim to be a U.S. citizen: to state you are a U.S. citizen
Claim: to say that something is true.

Constitution: the supreme law of the land
Country of Nationality: the country where you are currently a citizen or national.
Crime: an action that breaks the law.

Current: the present time

Declared legally incompetent: to be diagnosed that you are not able to make decisions for yourself due to mental problems under the law.
Detention facility: a jail or prison where people wait before they go to court and have a trial.
Disability: a problem with your body or mind that prevents you from doing things that other people can do (for example blindness or deafness).
Divorce: legally stop being married

Eligible/Eligibility: meet the requirements to do something
Fail: not pass a test; not complete or do something. Examples: “I failed my driving test,” means “I did not pass.” “I failed to stop at the red light,” means “I did not stop.”
False: not true.
File a tax return: send tax paperwork to the government.
Forcing sexual contact or relations: touching the male or female parts of the body when someone doesn’t want it.

Form of government in the U.S.: Republic
Fraudulent: to claim something that is not true.
Gamble: pay money to guess who will win at sports or games so that you can try to get more money.
Genocide: killing a whole group or race of people because of their religion, race, or other reason.
Guerrilla group: a group of people who use weapons against or attack the military, police or government.
Habitual drunkard: a person who regularly drinks too much alcohol (gets drunk).

Have you ever: in your lifetime.
Immigration benefit: things like a visa, green card, or citizenship

Illegal gambling: to play a game for money that is not allowed under the law.
Insurgent organization: a group of people that uses weapons to fight a government.
Jail: a building where police take people who are arrested for breaking the law.

Kill: to cause someone to die
Labor camp: a jail or prison where the prisoners have to do a lot of difficult work.
Legally incompetent: can’t make decisions for yourself because you have mental problems.
Lie: to say things that are not true.
Marital Status: whether you are legally married, single, divorced or widowed.
Married: having a husband or wife. This means legally married. You can be legally married even if you don’t currently live with your husband or wife.
Mental institution: a hospital for people with mental health problems.
Military unit: a group of people that work for a government to fight in a war; they may do this work on land, in boats or in airplanes.
Militia: an army that does not work for a government.
Misleading: causes a person to believe something that is not true to get something that you want.
Misrepresentation: to lie about who you are or something you did so that you can get something you want.

Naturalization: the process of becoming a citizen of a country

Noncombatant services: services that do not engage in fighting during a war such as nursing and translation.
Non-U.S. resident: a person who doesn’t live in the U.S.

Oath of Allegiance to the United States: a promise to be loyal to the United States.
Obtain: to get something.

Offense: minor crime
Overdue taxes: didn’t pay taxes on time.
Owe: to have a debt.
Paramilitary unit: a group of people who act like the military, but do not work for a government.

Pay alimony: to pay money to an ex-spouse after a divorce.
Persecute: to hurt someone badly because of religious or political beliefs.

Polygamy: being married to more than one person at the same time.
Prison: a building where criminals must stay as punishment for breaking the law.
Police unit: a group of people who work for a government to catch people who break the law
Prison camp: a jail or prison for enemy soldiers or other military during a war.
Probation: a time when a person who has broken the law gets out of prison early but is required to regularly report to the police.

Procure: to find a prostitute for someone.

Prostitute: someone who has sex with another person for money.
Public benefit: money from the government for things that can help you such as food stamps.
Rebel group: a group of people who fight a government or other group with power.
Register: sign up.
Resident: a person who lives in a specific place.
Single: not married now and never married before.
Self-defense unit: a group of people who work to protect a place if another group comes to fight them with weapons.
Smuggle: to take things/people to or from a country illegally.
Spouse: the person you are married to; your husband or wife.

Terrorist organization: an organization that uses violence for political or religious purposes.
Title of nobility: a position given by a King or Queen.
Torture: to cause great pain to someone.
Vigilante unit: a group of people who act like the police, but are not the police.
Weapon: something used to fight such as a gun, knife, or bomb.
Widowed: your marital status if your husband or wife died and you have not married again

Work of National Importance: tasks that are important to a nation during a crisis

Example of a Work of National Importance under civilian direction: helping the Red Cross during an earthquake