U.S. Citizenship Test - Civics Review

Flashcards for vocabulary review based on the official USCIS civics test questions.

The supreme law of the land.

The Constitution

What does the Constitution do?

It sets up the government.

First three words of the Constitution

We the people

Amendment

A change to the Constitution

First ten amendments to the Constitution

The Bill of Rights

One right or freedom from the First Amendment

Freedom of speech

Number of amendments in the Constitution

27

What did the Declaration of Independence do?

It announced our independence.

Two rights in the Declaration of Independence

Life and liberty

Freedom of religion

You can practice any religion or not practice a religion.

The economic system in the United States

Market economy

The “rule of law”

Everyone must follow the law.

One branch or part of the government

The Congress

What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

Checks and balances

Who is in charge of the executive branch?

The President

Who makes federal laws?

The Congress

Two parts of the U.S. Congress

The Senate and the House

How many U.S. Senators are there?

100

Term length for a U.S. Senator

6 years

One of your state’s U.S. Senators now

Elizabeth Warren

Number of voting members in the House of Representatives

435

Term length for a U.S. Representative

2 years

Name your U.S. Representative

Eric Swalwell

All the people of the state

Who does a U.S. Senator represent?

Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?

They have more people.

Term length for a President

4 years

Month we vote for President

November

The name of the President of the United States now

Donald Trump

The name of the Vice President of the United States now

JD Vance

Who becomes President if the President can no longer serve?

The Vice President

Who becomes President if both the President and Vice President can no longer serve?

The Speaker of the House

Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?

The President

Who signs bills to become laws?

The President

Who vetoes bills?

The President

What does the President’s Cabinet do?

It advises the President.

Two Cabinet-level positions

Secretary of State and Secretary of Education

What does the judicial branch do?

It explains the laws.

The highest court in the United States

The Supreme Court

How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

9

Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?

John Roberts

One power of the federal government

To print money

One power of the states

To give a driver’s license

Who is the Governor of your state now?

Charlie Baker

What is the capital of your state?

Boston

Two major political parties in the United States

Democratic and Republican

What is the political party of the President now?

Republican

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

Paul Ryan

Describe one of the four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote.

Any citizen can vote.

One responsibility that is only for United States citizens

Vote in a federal election

One right only for United States citizens

Vote in a federal election

Two rights of everyone living in the United States

Freedom of speech and freedom of assembly

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

The United States

One promise you make when you become a United States citizen?

Obey the laws of the United States

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

18 or older

Two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy

Vote or run for office

Last day you can send in federal income tax forms

April 15

When must all men register for the Selective Service?

Between the ages of 18 and 26

One reason colonists came to America

Freedom

Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

American Indians

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

People from Africa

Why did the colonists fight the British?

Because of high taxes

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

July 4, 1776

Three of the original 13 states

New Hampshire, New York and New Jersey

What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

The Constitution was written.

When was the Constitution written?

1787

One of the writers of the Federalist Papers

Alexander Hamilton

One thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for

He was a U.S. diplomat

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 in 1803?

The Louisiana Territory

One war fought by the United States in the 1800s

The Civil War

U.S. war between the North and the South

The Civil War

One problem that led to the Civil War

Slavery

One important thing that Abraham Lincoln did

Freed the slaves

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

Freed the slaves

What did Susan B. Anthony do?

She fought for women’s rights

One war fought by the United States in the 1900s

Vietnam War

Who was President during World War I?

Woodrow Wilson

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

Franklin Roosevelt

Who did the United States fight in World War II?

Japan, Germany, Italy

What war was Eisenhower in before he was President?

World War 2

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

Communism

What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

The Civil Rights Movement

What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?

He fought for civil rights

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

Terrorists attacked the United States.

Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.

Blackfeet

One of the two longest rivers in the United States

Mississippi River

Ocean on the West Coast of the United States

Pacific Ocean

Ocean on the East Coast of the United States

Atlantic Ocean

One U.S. territory

Puerto Rico

One state that borders Canada

Maine

One state that borders Mexico

California

The capital of the United States

Washington, D.C.

Where is the Statue of Liberty?

New York Harbor

Why does the flag have 13 stripes?

There were 13 original colonies.

Why does the flag have 50 stars?

There are 50 states.

The name of the national anthem

The Star-Spangled Banner

When do we celebrate Independence Day?

July 4

Two national U.S. holidays

Christmas and Thanksgiving