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July 3 , 2006

Happy Independence Day! (now take a test)

All the talk about immigrants (documented or not) in the media recently got us to thinking - could those of us who were born and educated in the U.S. pass the test that immigrants take in order to become naturalized citizens? We suspect that many of you have wondered it too, so we thought it would be fun to share some of the questions on the test in this week's Monday Minute. (It's a holiday, after all, who wants to worry about politics?). We've listed a sample of some of the actual questions below (with the answers below that) as well as some links to websites that have sample tests with a more interactive bent.

So light a sparkler, get a piece of apple pie, and jump right in. If you paid attention in your high school civics class, you should pass with flying colors.

Questions:
1. How many stripes are there on the American flag?
a) 50
b) 75
c) 13

2. What do the stripes on the flag mean?
a) They represent the original colonies
b) They represent the 50 states
c) They represent the blood shed in the Revolutionary War

3. What kind of government does the United States have?
a) A republic
b) A democracy
c) A monarchy

4. Who elects the president of the United States?
a) The Supreme Court
b) The American people
c) The Electoral College

5. How many amendments are there to the Constitution?
a) 23
b) 19
c) 27

6. What are the three branches of our government?
a) Legislative, executive, and judicial
b) Legislative, parliamentary, judicial
c) Executive, legislative, parliamentary

7. What is the Bill of Rights?
a) The Emancipation Proclamation
b) The first 10 amendments to the Constitution
c) The Declaration of Independence

8. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
a) It ordered that Pilgrims be freed from British oppression
b) It ordered that slaves in rebel territory be freed
c) It allowed citizens of the United States to claim land

9. Who becomes president of the U.S. if the president and the vice-president should die?
a) The Secretary of State
b) The Attorney General
c) The Speaker of the House of Representatives
d) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

10. Which countries were our principal allies during World War II?
a) United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Italy, France
b) United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, China, France
c) United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, and China
d) United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and China

11. What special group advises the president?
a) The Supreme Court
b) The Congress
c) The Joint Chiefs
d) The Cabinet

12. Who has the power to declare war?
a) The Congress
b) The president
c) The president and vice-president
d) The American people

13. Which of the following rights is NOT guaranteed by the First Amendment?
a) Freedom of speech
b) Freedom of the press
c) The right to bear arms
d) The right to peaceable assembly

14. Whose rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?
a) Everyone (citizens and non-citizens) living in the U.S.
b) American citizens living in the U.S.
c) American citizens living in the U.S. and abroad

15. In what month is the new president inaugurated?
a) November
b) January
c) June

16. How many times may a senator be re-elected?
a) Twice
b) Four times
c) Six times
d) There are no term limits for senators

Answers:

1. c -There are 13 stripes on the American flag.
2. a -They represent the 13 original colonies/states.
3. a -The U.S. is actually a republic, meaning citizens elect representatives.
4. c -The electoral college actually elects the president. Each state's number of electoral votes coincides with the number of their congressional representatives.
5. c -There are 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
6. a -The three branches are the legislative (Congress), executive (President), and judicial (Supreme Court).
7. b -The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are known collectively as the Bill of Rights.
8. b -The Emancipation Proclamation ordered that slaves in rebel territory be freed.
9. c -The Speaker of the House of Representatives is third in the line of succession for the presidency.
10. c -The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, and China were our principal allies in WWII. Italy and Germany were enemies.
11. d -The Cabinet, which is appointed by the president, advises the president.
12. a -Only Congress has the power to declare war.
13. c -The right to bear arms is the second amendment.
14. a -The rights of everyone (citizens and non-citizens) living in the U.S. are protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
15. b -The new president is inaugurated in Janurary.
16. d -There are no term limits for senators or representatives

Some fun websites:

http://games.toast.net/independence/

http://www.factmonster.com/quizzes/citizenship1/1.html

http://www.univision.com/content/channel.jhtml?chid=3&schid=278&secid=3624 (test can be taken in Spanish or English)

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