U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services introduced 144 revised civic questions it will try out on immigrants who want to become American citizens, as part of an effort to design a more meaningful citizenship test. Below you will find the new questions with all the answers.

The draft questions will be tried out on immigrant volunteers in 10 cities early next year. Immigration officials want to narrow the number of questions to 100 and launch the redesigned test in early 2008.

1. Name one important idea found in the Declaration of Independence.

• People are born with natural rights.
• The power of government comes from the people.
• The people can change their government if it hurts their natural rights.
• All people are created equal.

2. What is the supreme law of the land?

• The Constitution

3. What does the Constitution do?

• It sets up the government.
• It protects basic rights of Americans.

4. What does "We the People" mean in the Constitution?

• The power of government comes from the people.

5. What do we call changes to the Constitution?

• Amendments

6. What is an amendment?

• It is a change to the Constitution.

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

• The Bill of Rights

8. Name one right or freedom from the First Amendment.

• Speech
• Religion
• Assembly
• Press
• Petition the government

9. How many amendments does the Constitution have?

• Twenty-seven (27)

10. What did the Declaration of Independence do?

• Announce the independence of the United States from Great Britain
• Say that the U.S. is free from Great Britain

11. What does freedom of religion mean?

• You can practice any religion you want, or not practice at all.

12. What type of economic system does the U.S. have?

• Capitalist economy
• Free market
• Market economy

13. What are the three branches or parts of the government?

• Executive, legislative, and judicial
• Congress, the President, the courts

14. Name one branch or part of the government.

• Congress
• Legislative
• President
• Executive
• The courts
• Judicial

15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?

• The President

16. Who makes federal laws?

• Congress
• The Senate and House (of Representatives)
• The (U.S. or national) legislature

17. What are the two parts of the United States Congress?

• The Senate and House (of Representatives)

18. How many United States Senators are there?

• 100

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

• Six (6)

20. Name your state's two U.S. Senators.

• Answers will vary. [For District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories, the answer is that DC (or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. Senators.]

21. How many U.S. Senators does each state have?

• Two (2)

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

• 435

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

• Two (2)

24. Name your U.S. Representative.

• Answers will vary. [Residents of territories with nonvoting delegates or resident commissioners may provide the name of that representative or commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has no (voting) representatives in Congress.]

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

• All citizens in that Senator's state

Average user rating

   (0 vote)