US Citizenship Test 2024 Study Guide

What is the supreme law of the land?

Constitution

What does the constitution do?

Protects our rights, sets up our government

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

We the people

What is an amendment?

a change (to the Constitution)
an addition (to the Constitution)

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

Bill of Rights

What is one right or freedom from the first amendment?

religion, speech, assembly, petition, press

How many amendments does the Constitution have?

27

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)

What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

Life, Liberty, Pursuit of happiness

What is freedom of religion?

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

What is the economic system in the united states?

Capitalism or free market

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.

Name one branch of the government.

Judicial, executive, legislative, president, congress, the courts

What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

Checks and balances, separation of powers

Who is in charge of the Executive branch?

President

Who makes federal laws?

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

Name the two parts of the U.S Congress?

Senate, House of Representatives

How many U.S Senators are there?

100

A U.S. senator is elected for how many years?

6 years

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

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul

The House of Representatives has how many voting members?

435

A U.S representative is elected for how many years?

2

Name your U.S. Representative.

Thomas Massie

Who does a U.S Senator represent?

All the people of the state

Why do some states have more representatives than other states?

because of the states population, because they have more people, because some states have more people

A president is elected for how many years?

4

In what month do we vote for President ?

November

What is the name of the President of the United States now in 2022?

Joe Biden

What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now in 2022?

Kamala Harris

If the President can no longer serve who becomes President?

Vice President

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

Speaker of the House

Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?

the President

Who signs bills to become laws?

President of the United States

Who vetoes bills?

▪ the President

What does the President's Cabinet do?

Advise the President

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

What does the Judicial branch do?

reviews laws
explains laws
resolves disputes (disagreements)
decides if a law goes against the Constitution

What is the highest court in the United States?

Supreme Court

How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

9

Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?

John Roberts

What is one power of the Federal government?

Power to print money,
declare war
create an army
make treaties

What is one power of the states?

Provide schooling; provide protection; give driver's license, approve zoning and land use

Who is Governor of your state now?

Andy Beshear

What is the capital of the Commonwealth of Kentucky?

Frankfort

What are the two major political parties in the United States?

Democrat, Republican

What is the political party of the President now in 2022?

Democratic Party

Who is the the Speaker of the House of Representatives now in 2022?

Mike Johnson (R-Lousiana)

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
A male citizen of any race can vote

What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?

Voting in a federal election
serve on a jury

What is one right only for United States citizens?

vote in a federal election
run for federal office

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
right to bear arms

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

United States
the flag

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 US
obey the laws of the US
serve in the US military
serve the nation
be loyal to the US

How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?

eighteen (18) or older

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
five 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

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

April 15th

When must all men register for Selective Service?

at age eighteen (18)
between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)

What is one reason colonists came to America?

freedom
political liberty
religious freedom
economic opportunity
practice their religion
escape persecution

Who lived in america before the Europeans arrived?

Native Americans
American Indians

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

Africans

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

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

July 4th, 1776

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

What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

The Constitution was written.
The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.

What year was the Constitution written?

1787

The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the US Constitution. Name ONE of the writers.

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

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

Who is the "Father of our Country"?

George Washington

Who was the first President?

George Washington

What territory did the United States buy from France on 1803?

Louisianna Territory

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

Civil War
War of 1812
Mexican American War
Spanish American War

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

Civil War

Name one problem that led to the Civil War.

slavery
economic reasons
states' rights

What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?

freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
saved or preserved the Union
led the US during the Civil War

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

Freed slaves in the Confederate states that seceded from the Union

What did Susan B. Anthony do?

fought for women's rights
fought for civil rights

Name one war fought by the U.S. in the 1900s.

World War 1
World War 2
Korean War
Vietnam War
Gulf War

Who was President during World War I?

▪ (Woodrow) Wilson

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

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Who did the US fight in World War II?

Japan, Germany, and Italy

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

World War II

During the Cold War, what was the main concern for the United States?

Communism

What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

Civil Rights Movement

What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?

fought for civil rights
worked for equality for all Americans

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

Terrorists attacked the United States

Name one 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

Name the two longest rivers in the United States

Missouri River
Mississippi River

What ocean is on the West coast of the United States?

Pacific Ocean

What ocean is on the East coast of the United States?

Atlantic Ocean

Name one U.S. territory.

Puerto Rico
US Virgin Islands
American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands

Name one state that borders Canada.

Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
New York
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Michigan
Minnesota
North Dakota
Montana
Idaho
Washington
Alaska

Name one state that borders Mexico.

California
Arizona
New Mexico
Texas

What is the capital of the United States?

Washington D.C.

Where is the Statue of Liberty?

New York (Harbor)
Liberty Island

Why does the flag have 13 stripes?

because there were 13 original colonies
because the stripes represent the original colonies

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

What is the name of the national anthem?

The Star-Spangled Banner

When do we celebrate Independence Day?

July 4th

Name two national US holidays.

New Year's Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Presidents' Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas