(By Bruce A. Blitman, Certified Mediator, Arbitrator and Umpire, Law Office of Bruce Blitman, Palm Beach Gardens.)
In order to become a naturalized U.S. citizen, you must pass the naturalization test. At your naturalization interview, you will be required to answer questions about your application and background. You will also take an English and civics test unless you qualify for an exemption or waiver. There are 100 civics questions on the naturalization test. During the interview, you will be asked up to 10 questions from the list of 100 questions in English. You must answer correctly at least six out of 10 questions to pass the civics test in English.
Test your civics knowledge with the following questions, taken right from the U.S. naturalization exam. All have multiple choice answers. The answer key appears at the end of this test. Good luck—and no peeking!
- Which is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
- a. Right to free exercise of religion
- b. Right to vote
- c. Right to bear arms
- d. Right to a speedy trial
- We elect a U.S. representative for how many years?
- a. 6
- b. 2
- c. 4
- d. 8
- What is the name of the vice president of the United States now?
- a. Mike Pence
- b. Hillary Clinton
- c. Dick Cheney
- What does the judicial branch do?
- a. Decide the Constitutionality of laws
- b. Write and pass new legislation
- c. Authorize military action
- d. Federal law enforcement
- Who is the chief executive of a state?
- a. The senator
- b. The state comptroller
- c. The governor
- d. The lieutenant governor
- What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
- a. The Magna Carta was signed
- b. The Constitution was written
- c. The Declaration of Independence was written
- d. The Constitution was ratified
- What is the “Supreme Law of the Land?”
- a. The U.S. Constitution
- b. The Declaration of Independence
- c. The Supreme Court
- d. The president of the United States
- What is one purpose of the U.S. Constitution?
- a. Establishes treaties
- b. Declares war
- c. Protects the basic rights of Americans
- d. Defines state laws
- What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?
- a. The Bill of Lading
- b. The Bill of Rights
- c. The Bill of Particulars
- Which is a right or freedom from the First Amendment?
- a. Right to free exercise of religion
- b. Right to vote
- c. Right to avoid taxes
- d. Right to bear arms
- What was the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?
- a. Formed an alliance with South America
- b. Announced our independence from Great Britain
- c. Freed the slaves
- d. Announced our independence from Germany
- What is the economic system in the United States?
- a. Capitalist
- b. Socialist
- c. Anarchist
- d. Fascist
- Which is a branch of the U.S. government?
- a. Parliament
- b. Authoritative
- c. Financial
- d. Legislative
- What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
- a. Parliament and House of Commons
- b. President and Supreme Court
- c. Senate and House of Representatives
- d. State Legislature
- Who does a U.S. senator represent?
- a. Half the people of the state
- b. All people of the state
- c. Only people in their Congressional District
- d. All the people of the country
- The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
- a. 535
- b. 100
- c. 50
- d. 435
- What is the term, in years, for a U.S. senator?
- a. 2
- b. 4
- c. 6
- d. 8
- Why do some states have more representatives than other states?
- a. Higher population
- b. Lower population
- c. More land mass
- d. Larger economy
- Who is the Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?
- a. The secretary of defense
- b. The chief justice of the Supreme Court
- c. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- d. The president
- Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
- a. John Adams
- b. George Washington
- c. Thomas Jefferson
- d. Gouverneur Morris
- Who is considered the “Father of Our Country”?
- a. James Madison
- b. George Washington
- c. Thomas Jefferson
- d. Benjamin Franklin
- What do we show loyalty to when we say The Pledge of Allegiance?
- a. The flag of the United States
- b. The President of the United States
- c. The Constitution
- d. The United Nations
- When was The Declaration of Independence adopted?
- a. Sept. 17, 1787
- b. July 4, 1776
- c. July 4, 1775
- d. Dec. 7, 1941
- What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
- a. The Declaration of Independence was signed
- b. The state governors met to discuss war with Great Britain
- c. America was presented with the Statue of Liberty, from the French
- d. The U.S. Constitution was written
- The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Who was one of the writers?
- a. John Quincy Adams
- b. Alexander Hamilton
- c. George Washington
- d. Thomas Paine
ANSWERS:
- A
- B
- A
- A
- C
- B
- A
- C
- B
- A
- B
- A
- D
- C
- B
- D
- C
- A
- D
- C
- B
- A
- B
- D
- B
So, how did you do on your U.S. civics quiz? Remember, that a passing score is 15 or more correct answers. Congratulations and welcome to the United States of America!
NOTE: There is an unintentional mistake in one of the answers. Can you “spot the error?” Drop us a line!
Bruce A. Blitman has been a member of The Florida Bar since 1982 and certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a Circuit, Family and County Court mediator. Since 1989, he has mediated thousands of disputes throughout Florida and lectured and written extensively about the benefits of ADR. He serves on the Florida Bar’s committee on the mental health and wellness of Florida lawyers as well as the Palm Beach County Bar Association’s law related education and ADR committees. You can contact him at [email protected].
(This article was initially published in the August 26, 2019 edition of The Daily Business Review and is reprinted with the permission of the publication and the author.)
LMA Newsletter of 10-21-19
