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All 128 USCIS civics test questions with official answers

Grouped by the 3 USCIS categories: American Government, American History, and Integrated Civics. Free to print and copy for classroom use, no signup required.

American Government

  1. 11. The words "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" are in what founding document?
    Declaration of Independence
  2. 12. What is the economic system of the United States?
    Capitalism; Free market economy
  3. 13. 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
  4. 14. Many documents influenced the U.S. Constitution. Name one.
    Declaration of Independence; Articles of Confederation; Federalist Papers; Anti-Federalist Papers; Virginia Declaration of Rights; Fundamental Orders of Connecticut; Mayflower Compact; Iroquois Great Law of Peace
  5. 15. There are three branches of government. Why?
    So no branch is too powerful; (Branches of government provide) separation of powers; (Branches of government provide a system of) checks and balances
  6. 16. Name the three branches of government.
    Legislative, Executive, and Judicial; Congress, President, and the Courts
  7. 17. The President of the United States is in charge of which branch of government?
    Executive branch
  8. 18. What part of the federal government writes laws?
    (U.S.) Congress; (U.S. or national) legislature; Legislative branch
  9. 19. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
    Senate and House (of Representatives)
  10. 20. Name your U.S. Representative.
    Answer varies by state: look up your current officials. Answers will vary. [Residents of territories with nonvoting Delegates or Resident Commissioners may provide the name of that Delegate or Commissioner. Also acceptable is any statement that the territory has no (voting) Representatives in Congress.]
  11. 21. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
    Citizens of their state; People of their state; Residents of their state
  12. 22. How many U.S. Senators does each state have?
    Two (2)
  13. 23. Who is one of your state's U.S. Senators now?
    Answer varies by state: look up your current officials. 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.]
  14. 24. How long is a term for a U.S. Senator?
    Six (6) years
  15. 25. How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?
    Four hundred thirty-five (435)
  16. 26. How long is a term for a member of the House of Representatives?
    Two (2) years
  17. 27. How many senators does each state elect?
    Two (2)
  18. 28. What is the U.S. Capitol?
    The place where Congress meets; The building where U.S. laws are made
  19. 29. What is the White House?
    The President's (official) home; The President's (official) house; The President's (official) residence
  20. 30. Where is the White House located?
    Washington, D.C.; 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
  21. 31. Name one power of the U.S. Congress.
    Writes laws; Declares war; Makes the federal budget
  22. 32. How long is a term for the President of the United States?
    Four (4) years
  23. 33. The President of the United States can serve only two terms. Why?
    Because of the 22nd Amendment; To keep the President from becoming too powerful
  24. 34. Who is the Commander in Chief of the U.S. military?
    The President (of the United States)
  25. 35. Who signs bills to become laws?
    The President (of the United States)
  26. 36. Who vetoes bills?
    The President (of the United States)
  27. 37. What does the President's Cabinet do?
    Advises the President
  28. 38. What are two Cabinet-level positions?
    Attorney General; Secretary of Agriculture; Secretary of Commerce; Secretary of Defense; Secretary of Education; Secretary of Energy; Secretary of Health and Human Services; Secretary of Homeland Security; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Secretary of the Interior; Secretary of Labor; Secretary of State; Secretary of Transportation; Secretary of the Treasury; Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Vice President
  29. 39. Why is the Electoral College important?
    It decides who is elected President; It provides a compromise between the popular election of the President and congressional selection
  30. 40. What is one part of the judicial branch?
    Supreme Court; Federal Courts
  31. 41. What does the judicial branch do?
    Reviews laws; Explains laws; Resolves disputes (disagreements) between parties; Decides if a law goes against the (U.S.) Constitution
  32. 42. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
    John Roberts; John G. Roberts, Jr.
  33. 43. How many seats are on the Supreme Court?
    Nine (9)
  34. 44. How long do Supreme Court Justices serve?
    (For) life; Lifetime appointment; Until retirement
  35. 45. Supreme Court Justices serve for life. Why?
    To be independent (of politics); To limit outside (political) influence
  36. 46. Who nominates Justices to the Supreme Court?
    The President (of the United States)
  37. 47. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
    Print paper money; Mint coins; Declare war; Create an army; Make treaties; Set foreign policy
  38. 48. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
    Provide schooling and education; Provide protection (police); Provide safety (fire departments); Give a driver's license; Approve zoning and land use
  39. 49. What is the current political party of the President of the United States?
    Republican (Party)
  40. 50. What is the highest court in the United States?
    Supreme Court
  41. 51. What is the name of the President of the United States now?
    Donald J. Trump; Donald Trump; Trump
  42. 52. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
    JD Vance; James David Vance; Vance
  43. 53. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
    The Vice President (of the United States)
  44. 54. Name one power that is only for the federal government.
    Print paper money; Mint coins; Declare war; Create an army; Make treaties; Set foreign policy
  45. 55. Name one power that is only for the states.
    Provide schooling and education; Provide protection (police); Provide safety (fire departments); Give a driver's license; Approve zoning and land use
  46. 56. What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment?
    (It states that the) powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or to the people
  47. 57. Who is the Governor of your state now?
    Answer varies by state: look up your current officials. Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. does not have a Governor.]
  48. 58. What is the capital of your state?
    Answer varies by state: look up your current officials. Answers will vary. [District of Columbia residents should answer that D.C. is not a state and does not have a capital. Residents of U.S. territories should name the capital of the territory.]
  49. 59. There are four amendments to the U.S. Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
    Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote); You don't have to pay (a poll tax) to vote; Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.); A male citizen of any race (can vote)
  50. 60. Who can vote in federal elections, run for federal office, and serve on a jury in the United States?
    Citizens; Citizens of the United States; U.S. citizens
  51. 61. What are three rights of everyone living in the United States?
    Freedom of expression; Freedom of speech; Freedom of assembly; Freedom to petition the government; Freedom of religion; The right to bear arms
  52. 62. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
    The United States; The flag
  53. 63. Name two promises that new citizens make in the Oath of Allegiance.
    Give up loyalty to other countries; Defend the (U.S.) Constitution; Obey the laws of the United States; Serve in the military (if needed); Serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed); Be loyal to the United States
  54. 64. How can people become United States citizens?
    Naturalize; Derive citizenship; Be born in the United States
  55. 65. What are two examples of civic participation in the United States?
    Vote; Run for office; Join a political party; Help with a campaign; Join a civic group; Join a community group; Give an elected official your opinion (on an issue); Contact elected officials; Support or oppose an issue or policy; Write to a newspaper
  56. 66. What is one way Americans can serve their country?
    Vote; Pay taxes; Obey the law; Serve in the military; Run for office; Work for local, state, or federal government
  57. 67. Why is it important to pay federal taxes?
    Required by law; All people pay to fund the federal government; Required by the (U.S.) Constitution (16th Amendment); Civic duty
  58. 68. It is important for all men age 18 through 25 to register for the Selective Service. Name one reason why.
    Required by law; Civic duty; Makes the draft fair, if needed

American History

  1. 69. The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one.
    Freedom; Political liberty; Religious freedom; Economic opportunity; Escape persecution
  2. 70. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
    American Indians; Native Americans
  3. 71. What group of people was taken and sold as slaves?
    Africans; People from Africa
  4. 72. What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?
    American Revolution; The (American) Revolutionary War; War for (American) Independence
  5. 73. Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.
    High taxes; Taxation without representation; British soldiers stayed in Americans' houses (boarding, quartering); They did not have self-government; Boston Massacre; Boston Tea Party (Tea Act); Stamp Act; Sugar Act; Townshend Acts; Intolerable (Coercive) Acts
  6. 74. The American Revolution had many important events. Name one.
    (Battle of) Lexington and Concord; Declaration of Independence; Washington Crossing the Delaware (Battle of Trenton); (Battle of) Saratoga; Valley Forge (Encampment); (Battle of) Yorktown (British surrender at Yorktown)
  7. 75. There were 13 original states. Name five.
    New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia
  8. 76. Who is the "Father of Our Country"?
    (George) Washington
  9. 77. Who was the first President of the United States?
    (George) Washington
  10. 78. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
    July 4, 1776
  11. 79. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
    (James) Madison; (Alexander) Hamilton; (John) Jay; Publius
  12. 80. Why were the Federalist Papers important?
    They helped people understand the (U.S.) Constitution; They supported passing the (U.S.) Constitution
  13. 81. Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one.
    Founder of the oldest free libraries; First Postmaster General of the United States; Helped write the Declaration of Independence; Inventor; U.S. diplomat; Writer of "Poor Richard's Almanac"; Started the first free libraries
  14. 82. George Washington is famous for many things. Name one.
    "Father of Our Country"; First President of the United States; General of the Continental Army; President of the Constitutional Convention
  15. 83. Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things. Name one.
    Writer of the Declaration of Independence; Third President of the United States; Doubled the size of the United States (Louisiana Purchase); First Secretary of State; Founded the University of Virginia; Writer of the Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom
  16. 84. James Madison is famous for many things. Name one.
    "Father of the Constitution"; Fourth President of the United States; President during the War of 1812; One of the writers of the Federalist Papers
  17. 85. Alexander Hamilton is famous for many things. Name one.
    First Secretary of the Treasury; One of the writers of the Federalist Papers; Helped establish the First Bank of the United States; Aide to General George Washington; Member of the Continental Congress
  18. 86. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
    Louisiana Territory; Louisiana
  19. 87. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
    War of 1812; Mexican-American War; Civil War; Spanish-American War
  20. 88. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
    The Civil War
  21. 89. The Civil War had many important events. Name one.
    (Battle of) Fort Sumter; Emancipation Proclamation; (Battle of) Vicksburg; (Battle of) Gettysburg; Sherman's March; (Surrender at) Appomattox; (Battle of) Antietam; Lincoln was assassinated; Lincoln was shot
  22. 90. Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one.
    Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation); Saved (or preserved) the Union; Led the United States during the Civil War; 16th President of the United States; Delivered the Gettysburg Address
  23. 91. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
    Freed the slaves; Freed slaves in the Confederacy; Freed slaves in the Confederate states; Freed slaves in most Southern states
  24. 92. What U.S. war ended slavery?
    The Civil War
  25. 93. What amendment gives citizenship to all persons born in the United States?
    14th Amendment
  26. 94. When did all men get the right to vote?
    After the Civil War; During Reconstruction; (With the) 15th Amendment; 1870
  27. 95. Name one leader of the women's rights movement in the 1800s.
    Susan B. Anthony; Elizabeth Cady Stanton; Sojourner Truth; Harriet Tubman; Lucretia Mott; Lucy Stone
  28. 96. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
    World War I; World War II; Korean War; Vietnam War; (Persian) Gulf War
  29. 97. Why did the United States enter World War I?
    Because Germany attacked U.S. (civilian) ships; To support the Allied Powers (England, France, Italy, and Russia); To oppose the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria)
  30. 98. When did all women get the right to vote?
    1920; After World War I; (With the) 19th Amendment
  31. 99. What was the Great Depression?
    Longest economic recession in modern history
  32. 100. When did the Great Depression start?
    The Great Crash (1929); Stock market crash of 1929
  33. 101. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
    (Franklin) Roosevelt; FDR; Franklin D. Roosevelt
  34. 102. Why did the United States enter World War II?
    (Bombing of) Pearl Harbor; Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor; To support the Allied Powers (England, France, and Russia); To oppose the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan)
  35. 103. Dwight Eisenhower is famous for many things. Name one.
    General during World War II; President at the end of (during) the Korean War; 34th President of the United States; Signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 (Created the Interstate System)
  36. 104. Who was the United States' main rival during the Cold War?
    Soviet Union; USSR; Russia
  37. 105. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
    Communism; Nuclear war
  38. 106. Why did the United States enter the Korean War?
    To stop the spread of communism
  39. 107. Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War?
    To stop the spread of communism
  40. 108. What did the civil rights movement do?
    Fought to end racial discrimination
  41. 109. Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for many things. Name one.
    Fought for civil rights; Worked for equality for all Americans; Worked to ensure that people would "not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character"
  42. 110. Why did the United States enter the Persian Gulf War?
    To force the Iraqi military from Kuwait
  43. 111. What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States?
    Terrorists attacked the United States; Terrorists took over two planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York City; Terrorists took over a plane and crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; Terrorists took over a plane that crashed in a field in Pennsylvania
  44. 112. Name one U.S. military conflict after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
    (Global) War on Terror; War in Afghanistan; War in Iraq
  45. 113. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
    Apache; Blackfeet; Cayuga; Cherokee; Cheyenne; Chippewa; Choctaw; Creek; Crow; Hopi; Huron; Inupiat; Lakota; Mohawk; Mohegan; Navajo; Oneida; Onondaga; Pueblo; Seminole; Seneca; Shawnee; Sioux; Teton; Tuscarora
  46. 114. Name one example of an American innovation.
    Light bulb; Automobile (cars, combustible engine); Skyscrapers; Airplane; Assembly line; Landing on the moon; Integrated circuit (IC)

Integrated Civics

  1. 115. What is the capital of the United States?
    Washington, D.C.
  2. 116. Where is the Statue of Liberty?
    New York (Harbor); Liberty Island; (Also acceptable: New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River))
  3. 117. Name one U.S. territory.
    Puerto Rico; U.S. Virgin Islands; American Samoa; Northern Mariana Islands; Guam
  4. 118. Name one state that borders Canada.
    Maine; New Hampshire; Vermont; New York; Pennsylvania; Ohio; Michigan; Minnesota; North Dakota; Montana; Idaho; Washington; Alaska
  5. 119. Name one state that borders Mexico.
    California; Arizona; New Mexico; Texas
  6. 120. Name one large mountain range in the United States.
    Rocky Mountains; Appalachian Mountains; Sierra Nevada; Cascade Mountains; Alaska Range
  7. 121. What is the longest river in the United States?
    Missouri (River); Mississippi (River)
  8. 122. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
    Pacific (Ocean)
  9. 123. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
    Atlantic (Ocean)
  10. 124. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
    (Because there were) 13 original colonies; (Because the stripes) represent the original colonies
  11. 125. Why does the flag have 50 stars?
    (Because there is) one star for each state; (Because) each star represents a state; (Because there are) 50 states
  12. 126. What is the name of the national anthem?
    The Star-Spangled Banner
  13. 127. The Nation's first motto was "E Pluribus Unum." What does that mean?
    Out of many, one; We all become one
  14. 128. What is Independence Day?
    A holiday to celebrate U.S. independence (from Britain); The country's birthday