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In a recent column, New York Times op-ed writer Timothy Egan wrote the following:
“Nearly one in three Americans cannot name a single branch of government. When NPR tweeted out sections of the Declaration of Independence last year, many people were outraged. They mistook Thomas Jefferson’s fighting words for anti-Trump propaganda.”
That seemed outlandish. So, here is a 20-question Civics Practice Test, prepared by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The answers, including some with detailed explanation, follow.
Twenty questions1. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
A. prohibition
B. conservation
C. civil rights movement
D. women’s suffrage
2. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
A. freedom of speech
B. checks and balances
C. the President
D. the people
3. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
A. youngest member of the Constitutional Convention
B. U.S. diplomat
C. inventor of the airplane
D. third president of the United States
4. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
A. Quebec
B. the Louisiana Territory
C. Alaska
D. Hawaii
5. Name two national U.S. holidays.
A. Labor Day and Thanksgiving
B. Citizenship Day and Columbus Day
C. April Fool’s Day and Labor Day
D. Valentine’s Day and Presidents’ Day
6. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
A. Vietnam War
B. World War II
C. Spanish-American War
D. Civil War
7. What is the political party of the President now?
A. Democratic Party
B. Green Party
C. Independent Party
D. Republican Party
8. When do we celebrate Independence Day?
A. July 4
B. March 4
C. January 1
D. June 30
9. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
A. Citizens seventeen (17) and older can vote.
B. Only citizens with a job can vote.
C. Citizens by birth only can vote.
D. Citizens eighteen (18) and older can vote.
10. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
A. Anthony Kennedy
B. Joe Biden
C. Barack Obama
D. John G. Roberts Jr.
11. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
A. life and death
B. liberty and justice
C. life and pursuit of happiness
D. life and right to own a home
12. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
A. disobey the laws of the United States
B. never travel outside the United States
C. give up loyalty to other countries
D. not defend the Constitution and laws of the United States
13. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
A. because of the geographical size of the state
B. because of the state’s location
C. because the state’s Representatives have seniority in the House of Representatives
D. because of the state’s population
14. Who was the first President?
A. George Washington
B. Thomas Jefferson
C. Abraham Lincoln
D. John Adams
15. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
A. December 7, 1787
B. July 4, 1776
C. July 4, 1789
D. March 4, 1789
16. What is one reason colonists came to America?
A. to join a civic group
B. freedom
C. for the experience traveling across the ocean
D. none of these answers
17. Who was President during World War I?
A. Theodore Roosevelt
B. Warren Harding
C. Franklin Roosevelt
D. Woodrow Wilson
18. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
A. the Speaker of the House
B. the Prime Minister
C. the President
D. the Chief Justice
19. There were 13 original states. Name three.
A. New York, Kentucky and Georgia
B. Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina
C. Virginia, North Carolina and Florida
D. Washington, Oregon and California
20. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
A. May 15
B. March 15
C. April 15
D. July 4
Twenty answers1. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
C. civil rights movement
2. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
B. checks and balances
The system of checks and balances stops one branch of the federal government from becoming too powerful. The United States government is divided into three separate branches. They are the president, Congress, and the courts. Here is an example of how this works. Congress makes laws. But the president can veto a law. That means the president can refuse to sign it. The law is then sent back to Congress. This is one way the president limits, or “checks,” the power of Congress.
3. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
B. U.S. diplomat
Benjamin Franklin was a famous American. He lived from 1706 to 1790. Benjamin Franklin was an inventor. He invented many things that we use today. He invented bifocal eyeglasses. He invented the Franklin stove. Franklin was the writer of Poor Richard’s Almanac. It was a book with information about the weather and other topics. Franklin became the first postmaster general of the United States in 1775. He created the postal, or mail, system in the United States. Also, he started the first free libraries. Later, he was a U.S. diplomat. He was the oldest member at the Constitutional Convention.
4. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
B. the Louisiana Territory
The United States bought the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803. After the United States gained independence, many Americans believed that the country should expand. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory for $15 million. This land doubled the size of the United States. American Indians and European settlers lived on this land. After the United States bought the Louisiana Territory, many more settlers moved west.
5. Name two national U.S. holidays.
A. Labor Day and Thanksgiving
National holidays honor special events and important people in American history. Some holidays honor individuals. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we honor a man who worked for equality for all Americans. Columbus Day commemorates the day Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas. Some holidays honor groups of people. Veterans Day and Memorial Day honor people who served in the military and who died for their country. On Labor Day, we celebrate American workers. On Presidents’ Day, we honor the work of American presidents. On Thanksgiving and Independence Day we remember important events in U.S. history. Christmas and New Year’s Day are national holidays in the winter season. There are also other holidays during this time.
6. Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
B. World War II
President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a general in World War II. He led the United States Army and its allies in western Europe during World War II. When he came home from World War II, he was a famous war hero. He became president in 1953.
7. What is the political party of the President now?
D. Republican Party
8. When do we celebrate Independence Day?
A. July 4
We celebrate Independence Day on July 4. Representatives from the colonies signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. This is the day the United States declared independence from Great Britain. On July 4, Americans celebrate in many different ways. We have parades, picnics, and watch fireworks. We celebrate Independence Day every year on July 4.
9. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
D. Citizens eighteen (18) and older can vote.
The United States added four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Government leaders added the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870. It says that a male citizen of any race can vote. The Nineteenth Amendment says that any citizen, including women, can vote. Congress added the Twenty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution in 1964. It made poll taxes illegal. Poll taxes were taxes that citizens had to pay to vote. Poll taxes were used to stop some people, especially African Americans, from voting. The Twenty-sixth Amendment was added in 1971. It says that citizens who are 18 years old and older can vote.
10. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
D. John G. Roberts Jr.
11. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
C. life and pursuit of happiness
Leaders of the new American government wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It told the world that American colonists were free from Great Britain. It said that all people were created equal. It said that the government should protect citizens’ rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The rights in the Declaration of Independence are important in United States history. They are still important today. Americans continue to believe in the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
12. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
C. give up loyalty to other countries
An immigrant completes many requirements to become a U.S. citizen. The final step is to take an Oath of Allegiance. You promise to be loyal to the United States and give up loyalty to other countries. You promise to defend the Constitution and obey the laws of the United States. And you promise to serve the United States when the government needs your help.
13. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
D. because of the state’s population
14. Who was the first President?
A. George Washington
George Washington was the first president of the United States. He was president from 1789 to 1797. Before he became president, George Washington was the general of the American army. George Washington decided to stop being president after two 4-year terms. Today, we follow his example. The Twenty-second Amendment, added to the Constitution in 1951, limits presidents to two 4-year terms. No one can be president for more than two 4-year terms.
15. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
B. July 4, 1776
On July 4, 1776, the colonists adopted the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. It said the colonies were free from Great Britain. Representatives from the 13 colonies signed the Declaration. July 4, 1776, is a special date in American history. It is the day that the United States became an independent country, separate from Britain.
16. What is one reason colonists came to America?
B. freedom
Colonists came to America because they wanted political liberty. They wanted religious freedom and economic opportunity. The United States is a country where individual rights and self-government are important. This has always been true. Colonists first came to America for more freedom. Governments in Europe ruled the colonies. But the colonists were free to decide many things for themselves. Some colonists came to America for religious freedom. In Europe, governments punished people for practicing certain religions. In America, there was more freedom of religion. Some colonists came to America for political liberty. One example of political liberty is the government in Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. The men in the colony voted to elect a governor. Later, they elected representatives to their government. Some colonists came to America for economic opportunity. In the colonies, people had more opportunities to trade goods and farm the land. America was a place where colonists were free to do things differently. It was an opportunity to have a better life.
17. Who was President during World War I?
D. Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson was the president during World War I. The war started in 1914. Many countries in Europe and other places fought each other during World War I. Woodrow Wilson and others in the United States did not want to enter World War I. But in 1917, German submarines attacked American ships. Woodrow Wilson decided the United States had to fight in the war. Congress agreed and declared war.
18. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
C. the President
The president is the leader of the executive branch. He or she signs and enforces laws. The president is the commander in chief of the military. The president represents the United States to other countries. He or she signs treaties with other countries. The president is in charge of the executive branch.
19. There were 13 original states. Name three.
B. Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina
20. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
20. C. April 15
Source: https://my.uscis.gov/en/prep/test/civics/view