U.S. Citizenship Test

What is the supreme law of the land?

The Constitution

What does the Constitution do?

Sets up the government, defines the government, and protects the basic rights of Americans.

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 or addition (to the Constitution)

What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?

The Bill of Rights

What is one right or freedom from the first amendment?

Freedom of speech, religion, assembly, press, and to petition the government.

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

What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

What is freedom of religion?

The right to practice the religion of your choice.

What is the economic system of the United States?

Capitalism economy and market economy

What is the “rule of law”?

Everyone must follow the law, leaders must obey the law, government must obey the law, and no one is above the law

Name one branch or part of the government.

Legislative, congress, executive, the president, the courts, judicial

What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

Checks and balances and separation of powers

Who is in charge of the executive branch?

The President

Who makes federal laws?

 Congress, Senate and House, legislative branch

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

House of representatives and the Senate

How many U.S. Senators are there?

100

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

6 years

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

Lindsay Graham and Tim Scott

The House of Representatives has how many voting members?

435

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

2

Name your U.S Representative

Nancy Mace, Jim Clyburn, Joe Wilson, Ralph Norman, William Timmons, Jeff Duncan, Russell Fry

Who does a U.S Senator represent?

All people of the state

Why do some states have more Representatives than others?

Because of the state’s population, because they have more people, because some states have more people

We elect a President 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?

Joe Biden

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

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?

President

Who signs bills to become laws?

President

Who vetoes bills?

President

What does the President’s Cabinet do?

Give advise, advise the president

What are **two** Cabinet-level positions?

Secretary of agriculture, Commerce, defense, education, energy, health and human services, homeland security, housing and urban development, interior, labor, state, transportation, treasury, veteran affairs, attorney general, vice president.

What does the judicial branch do?

Reviews and explains the laws (reviews laws, explains laws, resolves disputes, 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

Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is **one** power of the federal government?

Print money, declare war, create an army, and make treaties

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, give a driver’s license, and approve zoning and land use (land zoning)

Who is the Governor of your state now?

Henry McMaster

What is the capital of your state?

Columbia, SC

What are the **two** major political parties of the United States?

Democratic and Republic

What is the political party of the President now?

Democratic

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

Kevin McCarthy

There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe **one** of them.

You have to be 18 or older to vote, you must be a citizen.

* Citizens 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?

Jury duty and voting

Name __**one**__ right only for United States citizens.

You have to be a US citizen to vote and run for office.

How many Cabinet positions

15

What are the two rights of everyone living in the United States?

freedom of expression, speech, assembly, to petition the government, religion, to bear arms

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

We show loyalty to the United states flag.

What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?

give up loyalty to other countries, (give up their loyalty), serve in the military (if needed), defend the constitution and laws of the US, obey the laws, be loyal to the US, and serve the US/do important work for the nation.

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

18 and 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, give your opinion/give an elected officer your opinion on an issue, call your elected officials (senators and representatives), (publicly) support/oppose an issue or policy, run for office, and write to a news paper.

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

April 15

When must all men register for the Selective Service?

At 18

Between 18 and 26.

What is ***one*** reason colonists came to America?

Freedom, political liberty, religious freedom, economic opportunity, practice their religion, and to escape persecution.

Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?

American Indians and Native Americans

What continent were people taken to America from against their will?

Africa

Why did the colonists fight the British?

Taxation without representation (high taxes), the British army also invaded their homes, and they really wanted self government.

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

4th of July, **July 4th, 1776.**

There were 13 original states. List all here.

* South Carolina


* Connecticut
* New Jersey
*  New York
* Delaware
*  Pennsylvania
* Georgia
* Virgina
* North Carolina
* New Hampshire
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Rhode Island

What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

The Constitution was written

When was the Constitution written?

1787

The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the Us Constitution. Name **one** of the writers.

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* Alexander Hamilton


* James Madison
* John Jay
* Publius

What is Benjamin Franklin famous for?

Helped draft the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Who is the “Father of our Country”?

George Washington

Who was the first President?

George Washington

Who is in charge of the executive branch?

The President

What are the three branches of government?

Legislative, executive, and judicial

What system stops a government branch from getting too powerful?

Separation of powers and **checks and balances**

What are the two parts of the US Congress?

Senate and House of Representatives

Which branch of government creates laws?

Legislative

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

Louisiana

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

**Civil War**, War of 1812, Mexican-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

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Abraham Lincoln's goal was to preserve the union in which War?

Civil War

What did Abe Lincoln do?

\
* **Preserved the Union**


* Freed Slaves
* Led the US through the Civil War

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

Freed slaves in the Confederate States

What did Susan B. Anthony do?

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Women's rights, civil rights, and underground railroads

Name **one** war fought by the United States in the 1900’s

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* **World War I**
* World War II
* 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 Roosevelt

Who did the United States 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 of the United States?

Everyone was so scared of communism

What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

Civil Rights

What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?

He fought for Civil Rights and worked for equality for all Americans

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

Terrorist attack on the World Trade Center

Name **the 4 Largest**  American Indian tribes in the United States.

\
* Cherokee


* Sioux
* Apache
* Seminole

Name the two longest rivers in the United States.

Mississippi and Missouri

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

Pacific

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

Atlantic

Name __**the five major**__ U.S. Territories.

**Puerto Rico**, US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam

Name the  states that border Canada (13 states- see map below)

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

Name the states that border Mexico. (4 states- see map below)

**Arizona**, New Mexico, Texas, California