Could you pass the U.S. citizenship test?: There are 100 questions on the civics section of the U.S. citizenship test. Applicants are asked ten of…

Angela Underwood

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Passing the U.S. citizenship test is a vital step toward becoming an American citizen. To pass the civics portion of the test, an applicant must correctly answer six of up to 10 oral U.S. history and government-related questions administered by a U.S. citizen immigration services officer. The questions come from a pool of 100 possible questions.

The questions tell the story of how the 13 colonies fought against Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War; how the U.S. Constitution came to be; and how the federal government was formed by the founding fathers including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, and James Madison.

They also cover U.S. history through World Wars I and II, the Great Depression, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and 9/11. Some questions require knowledge of the Democratic and Republican parties and the workings of the U.S. Congress.

After passing the test, paying a fee, and completing all other necessary steps and paperwork, applicants who were once considered foreigners become full-fledged American citizens under the U.S. Constitution. Once naturalized, new citizens are entitled to the full rights of a person born in the United States.

Stacker has compiled a list of the 100 questions and answers on the civics test and formatted them like a quiz in the following gallery. Think you can pass the test with flying colors? Read on to see just how tough the questions areand how solid your high school history class recall is. Kicking things off, here's the first question:

#1: What is the supreme law of the land?

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Answer #1: The Constitution.

The U.S. Constitution, written in 1787 in the Pennsylvania State House, was ratified by the original 13 colonies in 1788 and went into full effect in 1789 when 38 delegates from each state signed the document. The master copy of the constitution, comprised of seven articles, is on display at the National Archives in Washington D.C.

Question #2: What does the Constitution do?

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Answer #2: Sets up the government; defines the government; protects basic rights of Americans.

The U.S. Constitution sets up the government into three branchesexecutive, legislative, and judicial. The executive branch consists of the U.S. president, the vice president, the Cabinet, and members of all federal agencies, departments, committees, and commissions. The legislative branch includes the U.S. Congress, which is made up of the Senate and House of Representatives. The judicial branch is the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts. The rights of American citizens are protected under government laws and by elected members, who must be of a certain age to serve.

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

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Answer #3: "We the people..."

All citizens of the U.S. are included in the first three words, "We the people," of the U.S. Constitution's preamble.

Question #4: What is an amendment?

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Answer #4: A change (to the Constitution); an addition (to the Constitution).

The U.S. Constitution has more than two dozen amendments, changes or additions to clarify its meaning and include provisions not included in the first draft. The changes to the original draft range widely. Notable amendments to the U.S. Constitution include the freedom of religion and speech, the right to bear arms, the abolition of slavery, and allowing African American men and all women to vote.

Question #5: What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?

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Answer #5: The Bill of Rights.

The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, written by James Madison in 1791, are known as the Bill of Rights. The amendments were added to protect citizens, expand freedoms, and to limit government power. After several representatives objected to the 10 changes, a decision was made to place the Bill of Rights at the end of the document under Article VII, rather than directly editing the original text.

Question #6: What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?

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Answer #6: Speech; religion; assembly; press; petition the government.

There are five fundamental rights in the First Amendment. The first two allow people the right to say and believe whatever they want; the third allows people to assemble peacefully; the fourth allows people the right to report the news without government censorship; and the fifth allows people the right not to be witnesses against themselves in a criminal case.

Question #7: How many amendments does the Constitution have?

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Answer #7: 27

The 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, including the first 10 in the Bill of Rights, vary widely. The changes made to the original 1787 draft include the direct election of U.S. senators; limiting a president to two terms; the establishment of the federal income tax; allowing women and African Americans to vote; and the abolition of slavery. The only amendment to be repealed was the Eighteenth, which barred the sale and consumption of alcohol in 1919. Alcohol was made legal in 1933 with the creation of the Twenty-First Amendment.

Question #8: What did the Declaration of Independence do?

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Answer #8: Announced independence (from Great Britain); declared independence (from Great Britain); said that the United States is free (from Great Britain).

The Declaration of Independence, written on July 4, 1776, was the first document that declared 13 colonies in America would become sovereign and separate from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Members of the Continental Congress, including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Livingston, and Roger Sherman, created the document together. The Declaration of Independence is the first of three founding documents of the United States government, including the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Question #9: What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

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Answer #9: Life; liberty; pursuit of happiness.

The first two rights of the Declaration of Independence guarantee the rights of citizens to exist frequently. The third right, the pursuit of happiness, is commonly understood to refer to the right to one's own wealth and property.

Question #10: What is freedom of religion?

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Answer #10: You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.

The freedom of religion is also known as the separation of church and state. This amendment prohibits the government from making citizens practice a particular set of moral beliefs. There are two accurately named sections in the First Amendment that concern religion. The Establishment Clause forbids the government from setting up a system of faith or favoring one religion, and the Free Exercise Clause prohibits the government from barring the exercise of faith or lack thereof.

Question #11: What is the economic system in the United States?

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Answer #11: Capitalist economy; market economy.

Capitalist and market economies make up the U.S. financial system. A capitalist economy consists of private owners and corporations manufacturing goods with minimal government involvement. A market economy is the supply and demand system operated by individual owners and corporations, who produce and price products, and compete to be leaders in their respective industries.

Question #12: What is the "rule of law"?

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Answer #12: Everyone must follow the law; Leaders must obey the law; Government must obey the law; No one is above the law.

No man, woman, or child, regardless of his or her economic, education, or societal status, is removed from the regulations set forth by the three branches of government. Even the president, who is commander-in-chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, must follow specific laws to remain the leader of the country.

Question #13: Name one branch or part of the government.

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Answer #13: Congress; legislative; president; executive; the courts; judicial.

One branch of the government is the U.S. Congress, which is made up of two chambers including the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate is considered the more powerful committee, which is made up of fewer members who collectively hold different rights from those of the House, including the sole authority to conduct an impeachment trial or to reject a presidential appointee to either the executive or judicial branch.

Question #14: What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

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Answer #14: Checks and balances; separation of powers.

There must be a check and balance system between the three brancheslegislative, executive, and judicialof government to assure each entity only exercises its specific responsibilities. Each branch has the capacity to affect the decisions of other branches in specific ways. This separation of powers prevents any one branch of government from dominating its counterparts, keeping the federal system fair and equal.

Question #15: Who is in charge of the executive branch?

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Answer #15: The president.

The executive branch is made up of the president, vice president, and Cabinet, and the president is in charge as the head of government and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The Twenty-Second Amendment forbids any person elected to the office of the president from serving more than two consecutive four-year terms. There have been 13 presidents who have served two terms, including Grover Cleveland, who served in nonconsecutive periods.

Question #16: Who makes federal laws?

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Answer #16: Congress; Senate and House (of Representatives); (U.S. or national) legislature.

Federal laws are created when the U.S. Congress passes legislation, the president signs an executive order, and/or a federal court decision is reached based on the U.S. Constitution. When the U.S. Congress creates and passes bills, the proposed legislation must be approved and signed by the president to become federal law.

Question #17: What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?

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Answer #17: Senate and House (of Representatives).

The two chambers of the U.S. Congress include the Senate and the House of Representatives. The upper chamber is the Senate, which is made up of two senators from each of the 50 states. The lower chamber is the House of Representatives, which is made up of a variable number of representatives from each state and the District of Columbia based on that state's population. Since 1911, there have been 435 representatives in the House at any given time.

Question #18: How many U.S. Senators are there?

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Could you pass the U.S. citizenship test?: There are 100 questions on the civics section of the U.S. citizenship test. Applicants are asked ten of...