Civics Test - The USCIS Official 100 Questions and Answers

1. What is the form of government of the United States?

Republic
Constitution-based federal republic
Representative democracy

2. What is the supreme law of the land?*

(U.S.) Constitution

3. Name one thing the U.S. Constitution does.

Forms the government
Defines powers of government
Defines the parts of government
Protects the rights of the people

4. The U.S. Constitution starts with the words "We the People". What does "We the People" mean?

Self-government
Popular sovereignty
Consent of the governed
People should govern themselves
(Example of) social contract

5. How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?

Amendments
The amendment process

6. What does the Bill of Rights protect?

(The basic) rights of Americans
(The basic) rights of people living in the United States

7. How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have?*

Twenty-seven (27)

8. Why is the Declaration of Independence important?

It says America is free from British control.
It says all people are created equal.
It identifies inherent rights.
It identifies individual freedoms.

9. What founding document said the American colonies were free from Britain?

Declaration of Independence

10. Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

Equality
Liberty
Social contract
Natural rights
Limited government
Self-government

11. The words "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" are in what founding document?

Declaration of Independence

12. What is the economic system of the United States?*

Capitalism
Free market economy

13. 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.

14. Many documents influenced the U.S. Constitution. Name one.

Declaration of Independence
Articles of Confederation
Federalist Papers
Anti-Federalist Papers
Virginia Declaration of Rights
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
Mayflower Compact
Iroquois Great Law of Peace

15. There are three branches of government. Why?

So one part does not become too powerful
Checks and balances
Separation of powers

16. Name the three branches of government.

Legislative, executive, and judicial
Congress, president, and the courts

17. The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?

Executive branch

18. What part of the federal government writes laws?

(U.S.) Congress
(U.S. or national) legislature
Legislative branch

19. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?

Senate and House (of Representatives)

20. Name one power of the U.S. Congress.*

Writes laws
Declares war
Makes the federal budget

21. How many U.S. senators are there?

One hundred (100)

22. How long is a term for a U.S. senator?

Six (6) years

23. 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.]

Visit our Government Page to find out the name of one of your state’s U.S. senators.

24. How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?

Four hundred thirty-five (435)

25. How long is a term for a member of the House of Representatives?

Two (2) years

26. Why do U.S. representatives serve shorter terms than U.S. senators?

To more closely follow public opinion

27. How many senators does each state have?

Two (2)

28. Why does each state have two senators?

Equal representation (for small states) The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

29. 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.]

Visit our Government Page to find out the name of your U.S. representative.

30. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?*

Visit our Government Page to find out the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

31. Who does a U.S. senator represent?

Citizens of their state

32. Who elects U.S. senators?

Citizens from their state

33. Who does a member of the House of Representatives represent?

Citizens in their (congressional) district
Citizens in their district

34. Who elects members of the House of Representatives?

Citizens from their (congressional) district

35. Some states have more representatives than other states. Why?

(Because of) the state’s population (Because) they have more people (Because) some states have more people

36. The President of the United States is elected for how many years?*

Four (4) years

37. The President of the United States can serve only two terms. Why?

(Because of) the 22nd Amendment
To keep the president from becoming too powerful

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

Visit our Government Page to find out the name of the President of the United States.

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

Visit our Government Page to find out the name of the Vice President of the United States.

40. If the president can no longer serve, who becomes president?

The Vice President (of the United States)

41. Name one power of the president.

Signs bills into law
Vetoes bills
Enforces laws
Commander in Chief (of the military)
Chief diplomat

42. Who is Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?

The President (of the United States)

43. Who signs bills to become laws?

The President (of the United States)

44. Who vetoes bills?*

The President (of the United States)

45. Who appoints federal judges?

The President (of the United States)

46. The executive branch has many parts. Name one.

President (of the United States)
Cabinet
Federal departments and agencies

47. What does the President’s Cabinet do?

Advises the President (of the United States)

48. What are two Cabinet-level positions?

Attorney General
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
Vice President (of the United States)

49. Why is the Electoral College important?

It decides who is elected president.
It provides a compromise between the popular election of the president and congressional selection.

50. What is one part of the judicial branch?

Supreme Court
Federal Courts

51. What does the judicial branch do?

Reviews laws
Explains laws
Resolves disputes (disagreements) about the law
Decides if a law goes against the (U.S.) Constitution

52. What is the highest court in the United States?*

Supreme Court

53. How many seats are on the Supreme Court?

Nine (9)

54. How many Supreme Court justices are usually needed to decide a case?

Five (5)

55. How long do Supreme Court justices serve?

(For) life
Lifetime appointment
(Until) retirement

56. Supreme Court justices serve for life. Why?

To be independent (of politics)
To limit outside (political) influence

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

Visit our Government Page to find out the name of the Chief Justice of the United States.

58. Name one power that is only for the federal government.

Print paper money
Mint coins
Declare war
Create an army
Make treaties
Set foreign policy

59. Name one power that is only for the states.

Provide schooling and education
Provide protection (police)
Provide safety (fire departments)
Give a driver’s license
Approve zoning and land use

60. What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment?

(It states that the) powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or to the people.

61. 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.]

Visit our Government Page to find out who is the governor of your state.

62. 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.]

Visit our Government Page to find out what is the capital of your state.

63. There are four amendments to the U.S. 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).

64. Who can vote in federal elections, run for federal office, and serve on a jury in the United States?

Citizens
Citizens of the United States
U.S. citizens

65. What are three 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

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

The United States
The flag

67. Name two promises that new citizens make in the Oath of Allegiance.

Give up loyalty to other countries
Defend the (U.S.) Constitution
Obey the laws of the United States
Serve in the military (if needed)
Serve (help, do important work for) the nation (if needed)
Be loyal to the United States

68. How can people become United States citizens?

Naturalize
Derive citizenship
Be born in the United States

69. What are two examples of civic participation in the United States?

Vote
Run for office
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)
Contact elected officials
Support or oppose an issue or policy
Write to a newspaper

70. What is one way Americans can serve their country?

Vote
Pay taxes
Obey the law
Serve in the military
Run for office
Work for local, state, or federal government

71. Why is it important to pay federal taxes?

Required by law
All people pay to fund the federal government
Required by the (U.S.) Constitution (16th Amendment)
Civic duty

72. It is important for all men age 18 through 25 to register for the Selective Service. Name one reason why.

Required by law
Civic duty
Makes the draft fair, if needed

73. The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one.

Freedom
Political liberty
Religious freedom
Economic opportunity
Escape persecution

74. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?*

American Indians
Native Americans

75. What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?

Africans
People from Africa

76. What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?

American Revolution
The (American) Revolutionary War
War for (American) Independence

77. Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.

High taxes
Taxation without representation
British soldiers stayed in Americans’ houses (boarding, quartering)
They did not have self-government
Boston Massacre
Boston Tea Party (Tea Act)
Stamp Act
Sugar Act
Townshend Acts
Intolerable (Coercive) Acts

78. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?*

(Thomas) Jefferson

79. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

July 4, 1776

80. The American Revolution had many important events. Name one.

(Battle of) Bunker Hill
Declaration of Independence
Washington Crossing the Delaware (Battle of Trenton)
(Battle of) Saratoga
Valley Forge (Encampment)
(Battle of) Yorktown (British surrender at Yorktown)

81. There were 13 original states. Name five.

New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia

82. What founding document was written in 1787?

(U.S.) Constitution

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

(James) Madison
(Alexander) Hamilton
(John) Jay
Publius

84. Why were the Federalist Papers important?

They helped people understand the (U.S.) Constitution.
They supported passing the (U.S.) Constitution.

85. Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one.

Founded the first free public libraries
First Postmaster General of the United States
Helped write the Declaration of Independence
Inventor
U.S. diplomat

86. George Washington is famous for many things. Name one.*

“Father of Our Country”
First president of the United States
General of the Continental Army
President of the Constitutional Convention

87. Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things. Name one.

Writer of the Declaration of Independence
Third president of the United States
Doubled the size of the United States (Louisiana Purchase)
First Secretary of State
Founded the University of Virginia
Writer of the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom

88. James Madison is famous for many things. Name one.

“Father of the Constitution”
Fourth president of the United States
President during the War of 1812
One of the writers of the Federalist Papers

89. Alexander Hamilton is famous for many things. Name one.

First Secretary of the Treasury
One of the writers of the Federalist Papers
Helped establish the First Bank of the United States
Aide to General George Washington
Member of the Continental Congress

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

Louisiana Territory
Louisiana

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

War of 1812
Mexican-American War
Civil War
Spanish-American War

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

The Civil War

93. The Civil War had many important events. Name one.

(Battle of) Fort Sumter
Emancipation Proclamation
(Battle of) Vicksburg
(Battle of) Gettysburg
Sherman’s March
(Surrender at) Appomattox
(Battle of) Antietam/Sharpsburg
Lincoln was assassinated.

94. Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one.*

Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
Saved (or preserved) the Union
Led the United States during the Civil War
16th president of the United States
Delivered the Gettysburg Address

95. 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

96. What U.S. war ended slavery?

The Civil War

97. What amendment gives citizenship to all persons born in the United States?

14th Amendment

98. When did all men get the right to vote?

After the Civil War
During Reconstruction
(With the) 15th Amendment
1870

99. Name one leader of the women’s rights movement in the 1800s.

Susan B. Anthony
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Sojourner Truth
Harriet Tubman
Lucretia Mott
Lucy Stone

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

World War I
World War II
Korean War
Vietnam War
(Persian) Gulf War

101. Why did the United States enter World War I?

Because Germany attacked U.S. (civilian) ships
To support the Allied Powers (England, France, Italy, and Russia)
To oppose the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria)

102. When did all women get the right to vote?

1920
After World War I
(With the) 19th Amendment

103. What was the Great Depression?

Longest economic recession in modern history

104. When did the Great Depression start?

The Great Crash (1929)
Stock market crash of 1929

105. Who was president during the Great Depression and World War II?

(Franklin) Roosevelt

106. Why did the United States enter World War II?

(Bombing of) Pearl Harbor
Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor
To support the Allied Powers (England, France, and Russia)
To oppose the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan)

107. Dwight Eisenhower is famous for many things. Name one.

General during World War II
President at the end of (during) the Korean War
34th president of the United States
Signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 (Created the Interstate System)

108. Who was the United States' main rival during the Cold War?

Soviet Union
USSR
Russia

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

Communism
Nuclear war

110. Why did the United States enter the Korean War?

To stop the spread of communism

111. Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War?

To stop the spread of communism

112. What did the civil rights movement do?

Fought to end racial discrimination

113. Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one.*

Fought for civil rights
Worked for equality for all Americans
Worked to ensure that people would "not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character"

114. Why did the United States enter the Persian Gulf War?

To force the Iraqi military from Kuwait

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

Terrorists attacked the United States
Terrorists took over two planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York City
Terrorists took over a plane and crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia
Terrorists took over a plane originally aimed at Washington, D.C., and crashed in a field in Pennsylvania

116. Name one U.S. military conflict after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

(Global) War on Terror
War in Afghanistan
War in Iraq

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

Apache
Blackfeet
Cayuga
Cherokee
Cheyenne
Chippewa
Choctaw
Creek
Crow
Hopi
Huron
Inupiat
Lakota
Mohawk
Mohegan
Navajo
Oneida
Onondaga
Pueblo
Seminole
Seneca
Shawnee
Sioux
Teton
Tuscarora
For a complete list of tribes, please visit bia.gov.

118. Name one example of an American innovation.

Light bulb
Automobile (cars, combustible engine)
Skyscrapers
Airplane
Assembly line
Landing on the moon
Integrated circuit (IC)

119. What is the capital of the United States?

Washington, D.C.

120. 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).]

121. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?*

(Because there were) 13 original colonies
(Because the stripes) represent the original colonies

122. 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

123. What is the name of the national anthem?

The Star-Spangled Banner

124. The Nation’s first motto was “E Pluribus Unum.” What does that mean?

Out of many, one
We all become one

125. What is Independence Day?

A holiday to celebrate U.S. independence (from Britain)
The country’s birthday

126. Name three national U.S. holidays.*

New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Presidents Day (Washington’s Birthday)
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

127. What is Memorial Day?

A holiday to honor soldiers who died in military service

128. What is Veterans Day?

A holiday to honor people in the (U.S.) military
A holiday to honor people who have served (in the U.S. military)

2020 Civics Test – USCIS 128 Questions and Answers

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