American Civics

During the U.S. citizenship interview, the applicant will be asked up to 10 questions about U.S. history and civics. The applicant will need to score 60% or 6 correct out of 10 to pass. Below are the 100 most common U.S. citizenship questions.

Level: Easy

1) Who was the first president of the United States? George Washington

2) Who is the president of the United States today? Joseph Biden

3) What is the constitution? The supreme law of the land

3a) What is the supreme law of the land? The Constitution

4) How many states are there in the Union (or United States)? 50

4a) How many stars are on our flag? 50

5) Name three rights or freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights -- Freedom of speech, religion, and peaceful assembly

6) What are the colors of our flag? Red, white and blue

7) What is the 4th of July? Independence Day

8) Independence from whom? England

9) Who is the vice president of the United States today? Kamala Harris

10) For how long do we elect the president? Every four years

11) What is the Bill of Rights? The first 10 amendments of the constitution

11a) What are the first 10 amendments of the constitution called? The Bill of Rights

12) Who was Martin Luther King Jr.? A civil rights leader

13) What is the national anthem of the United States? The Star-Spangled Banner

14) What kind of government does the United States have? Republic

15) Where is the White House located? Washington D.C.

15a) What is the president's official home? The White House

16) Who is the commander in chief of the U.S. military? The president

17) In what month do we vote for the president? November

18) What is the highest court in the United States? The Supreme Court

19) How many Supreme Court justices are there? 9

20) Who selects the Supreme Court justice? Appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate

21) What is the minimum voting age in the United States? 18

22) How many terms can a president serve? 2

23) Who elects the congress? The people

24) What is the capital of your state?

25) How many senators are there in the congress? 100

26) Why are there 100 senators in congress? Two from each state

27) For how long do we elect each senator? 6 years

28) How many representatives are in the congress? 435

29) For how long do we elect the representatives? Two years

30) What are the three branches of our government? Executive, Legislative, Judiciary

31) Who elects the president of the United States? The Electoral College

32) Who makes laws in the United States? Congress

33) What is the judiciary branch of our government? The Supreme Court

34) What are the duties of the Supreme Court? To interpret laws

35) What is the legislative branch of our government? Congress

36) What is the executive branch? The president, cabinets and the departments under the cabinet members

37) Who signs bill into law? The president

38) Who has the power to declare war? Congress

39) What is the name of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America? The Mayflower

40) How many stripes are there on our flag? 13

41) What are the two major political parties in the United States? Democratic and Republican

42) What is the most important right granted to U.S. citizens? The right to vote

43) What were the original 13 states called? Colonies

44) Who was the president during the Civil War? Abraham Lincoln

45) What is the United States Capitol? The place where congress meets

45a) Where does Congress meet to conduct official business? The Capitol

46) How many times can a senator be re-elected? No limit

47) How many times can a representative be re-elected? No limit

48) What is the head executive of a state government called? Governor

49) What is the head executive of a city government called? Mayor

50) Who was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence? Thomas Jefferson

Level: Intermediate

51) Who said, "Give me liberty or give me death"? Patrick Henry

52) What do the stars on our flag mean? One for each state

53) What do the stripes on our flag mean? One for each original state (colony)

54) What country did we fight in the Revolutionary War? England

55) Can the constitution be changed? Yes

56) What do we call a change in the constitution? An amendment

57) How many amendments are there? 27

58) Who is the current governor of your state?

59) Name the two senators from your state.

60) Who is the mayor of your city?

60a) Who is the head of your local government? Same answer as Q60

61) Who is the current chief justice of the Supreme Court? John Roberts

62) Who becomes the president of the United States if the president dies or resigns from office? The vice president

63) Name one right guaranteed by the First Amendment --Speech, religion, peaceful assembly, press

64) What special group advises the president? The cabinet

65) When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? July 4, 1776

66) Where does freedom of speech come from? The Bill of Rights

67) What is the introduction to the constitution called? The preamble

68) In what year was the constitution written? 1787

69) Which president is called the father of our country? George Washington

70) What immigration and naturalization form is used to apply to become a naturalized citizen? Form N-400

71) In what month is the new president inaugurated? January

72) Who is the Speaker of the House of Representatives? Paul Ryan

73) Which president freed the slaves? Abraham Lincoln

74) What color(s) are the stars on our flag? White

75) What colors are the stripes on our flag? Red and white

76) What did the Emancipation Proclamation do? Freed many slaves

78) Who was the first commander in chief of the U.S. military? George Washington

80) What is the second amendment of the U.S. constitution? The right to bear arms

Level: Advanced

81) Can you name the 13 original states? Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island

82) Who becomes the president of the United States if the president and vice president should die? Speaker of the House of Representatives

83) What is the basic belief of the Declaration of Independence? All men are created equal

84) Who is your U.S. house representative? _______

85) Name one purpose of the United Nations -- For countries to meet and try to resolve world problems

86) Recite the Pledge of Allegiance --"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

87) Which countries were our enemies in World War II? Germany, Italy and Japan

88) Why did the Pilgrims come to America? For religious freedom

89) What holiday was celebrated for the first time by the American colonists? Thanksgiving

90) Name one benefit of being a citizen of the United States --Obtain federal government jobs; travel with a U.S. passport; petition for close relatives to come to the U.S. to live

91) According to the constitution, a person must meet certain requirements to be eligible to become president. Name one of the requirements --Must be a natural born citizen of the United States; must be 35 years of age; must have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years

92) What are the 49th and 50th states of the Union? Hawaii and Alaska

93) Name the first three amendments of the constitution -- Freedom of speech, press, religion, peaceful assembly; right to bear arms; restricts the quartering of soldiers in private homes without owner' consent and prohibits such practice in peace time.

94) What is the 9th amendment? Protects people against excessive or unreasonable fines or cruel and unusual punishment.

95) Who wrote the Star-Spangled Banner? Francis Scott Key

96) Is there a term limit for Supreme Court justice? No

97) Who helped the Pilgrims in America? Native Americans (or Indians)

98) Who is the Senate Majority Leader? Chuck Schumer

99) What animal is on the U.S. presidential seal? Bald eagle

100) Who is the current First Lady of the United States? Jill Biden