Civics Questions for the Naturalization Test

1. What is the supreme law of the land?

▪  The Constitution

2. What does the Constitution do?

▪  sets up the government

▪  defines the government

▪  protects basic rights of Americans

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

▪  We the People

4. What is an amendment?

▪  a change (to the Constitution)

▪  an addition (to the Constitution)

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

▪  the Bill of Rights

6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment? *

▪  speech

▪  religion

▪  assembly

▪  press

▪  petition the government

7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?

▪  twenty-seven (27)

8. 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)

9. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

▪  life

▪  liberty

▪  pursuit of happiness

10. What is freedom of religion?

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

11. What is the economic system in the United States? *

▪  capitalist economy

▪  market economy

12. 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.

13. Name one branch or part of the government. *

▪  Congress

▪  legislative

▪  President

▪  executive

▪  the courts

▪  judicial

14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

▪  checks and balances

▪  separation of powers

15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?

▪  the President

16. Who makes federal laws?

▪  Congress

▪  Senate and House (of Representatives)

▪  (U.S. or national) legislature

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

▪  the Senate and House (of Representatives)

18. How many U.S. Senators are there?

▪  one hundred (100)

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

▪  six (6)

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

▪  Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents and residents of U.S. territories should answer that D.C. (or the territory where the applicant lives) has no U.S. Senators.]