CITIZENSHIP SAMPLE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
AMERICAN GOVERMENT

If you are 65 years old or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you may study just the questions that have been marked with an asterisk.

A: Principle 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 are 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, and petition the Government 7. How many amendments does the Constitution have? • Twenty seven 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 Sates?* • 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 the federal laws? • Congress
• Senate and House of Representatives
• Legislative
17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?* • The Senate and the House of Representatives 18. How many U.S. Senators are there? • One hundred (100) 19. We select a U.S. Senator for how many years? • Six (6) 20. Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators?* • Answers will vary. (Please check http://www.senate.gov ) 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) years 23. Name your U.S. Representative. • Answers will vary. (Please check http://www.senate.gov ) 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 population
• (Because of) they have more people
• (Because) some states have more people
26. We elect a President for how many years? • Four (4) years 27. In what month do we vote for President?* • November 28. What is the name of the President of the United States now?* • Barack Obama 29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United Sates now? • Joe Biden 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 Interior
• Secretary of State
• Secretary of Transportation
• Secretary of Treasury
• Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs
• Secretary of Labor
• Attorney General
37. What does the judicial branch do? • Reviews laws
• Explains laws
• Resolves disputes (disagreements)
• Decides if 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? • Nine (9) 40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States? • John Roberts (John G. Roberts, Jr.) 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? • Bob McDonnell (VA)
• Martin O’Malley (MD)
• President of the D.C. and U.S. territories without a Governor should say “We don’t have a Governor (Please check at www.firstgov.gov and go to state government link)
44. What is the capital of your state?* • Richmond (VA)
• Annapolis (MD)
• D.C. 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? • Democratic (Party) 47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? • Nancy Pelosi C. Rights and Responsibilities 48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them. • Citizen 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
50. What are two rights only for United States citizens? • Apply for a federal job
• Vote
• Run for office
• Carry a U.S. passport
51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States? • Freedom of expression
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of assembly
• Freedom of petition the government
• Freedom of worship
• 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) 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 15th 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
• Practice their religion
• Escape persecution
59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived? • Native Americans
• American Indians
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? • Tomas Jefferson 63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? • July 4, 1776 64. There were 13 original states. Name three. • New York
• Connecticut
• Pennsylvania
• New Hampshire
• Virginia
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Rhode Island
• New Jersey
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Delaware
• 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”
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 sates
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
• Gulf War (Persian)
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. • 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 if 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
• President’s Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Columbus Day
• Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas

Disclaimer | Legal Terms | Privacy Policy | Site Map | Help | Giant Directory
Giant Publishing & CO. 7354-A Little River Tnpk. Annandale, VA 22003   T:703.750.6447 F:703.273.2293   giantad1979@gmail.com
자이안트 한인록, 자이언트 한인록, Giant Directory, Giant, 업소록