A lot has been said in recent weeks about the plight of migrants illegally crossing the United States border.
How they should be treated and what should become of families who cross the U.S. border led to protests across the country last weekend.
But for those who enter the country legally and apply to become U.S. citizens, the path is different.
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There are many steps, and a lot of expense, for a person who applies to become a naturalized U.S. citizen.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website lists these steps that apply to most of those seeking to become a U.S. citizen:
- Have had a Permanent Resident (Green) Card for at least five years, or for at least three years if you're filing as the spouse of a U.S. citizen
- Meet certain eligibility requirements including being at least 18, able to read, write and speak basic English and be a person of good moral character.
- Go through the 10-step naturalization process which includes determining your eligibility to become an American citizen and preparing and submitting an application for naturalization.
In addition, applicants must pass a test to become naturalized citizens. The test consists of two components – an English section and a civics component.
The person applying for citizenship will be asked up to 10 questions from a list of 100 possible questions, and must correctly answer six of the 10 to pass the test. People who fail the test, they may try a second time.
According to the USCIS, an average of 91 percent of immigrant applicants pass the test. The test is given orally and there are no multiple choice options.
In 2017, the annual Annenberg Constitution Day civics survey found that:
- More than half of Americans (53 percent) thought immigrants who are here illegally do not have any rights under the U.S. Constitution; (they do have rights)
- Thirty-seven percent couldn't name any of the rights guaranteed under the First Amendment;
- Only a little more than a quarter of Americans surveyed (26 percent) could name all three branches of government.
How much do you know about your government? Could you pass the test?
Here are the 100 potential questions immigrants wishing to become naturalized citizens are asked. The answers are below.
Test questions
A: Principles of American democracy
1. What is the supreme law of the land?
2. What does the Constitution do
3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
4. What is an amendment?
5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?*
7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?
8. What did the Declaration of Independence do?
9. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
10. What is freedom of religion?
11. What is the economic system in the United States?*
12. What is the “rule of law”?
B: System of government
13. Name one branch or part of the government
14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
16. Who makes federal laws?
17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?*
18. How many U.S. senators are there
19. We elect a U.S. senator for how many years
20. Who is one of your state’s U.S. senators now?*
21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
22. We elect a U.S. representative for how many years?
23. Name your U.S. representative.
24. Who does a U.S. senator represent?
25. Why do some states have more representatives than other states?
26. We elect a president for how many years?
27. In what month do we vote for president?*
28. What is the name of the president of the United States now?*
29. What is the name of the vice president of the United States now?
30. If the president can no longer serve, who becomes President?
31. If both the president and the vice president can no longer serve, who becomes president?
32. Who is the commander-in-chief of the military?
33. Who signs bills to become laws?
34. Who vetoes bills?
35. What does the president’s cabinet do?
36. What are two cabinet-level positions?
37. What does the judicial branch do?
38. What is the highest court in the United States?
39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
40. Who is the chief justice of the United States now?
41. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
43. Who is the governor of your state now?
44. What is the capital of your state?*
45. What are the two major political parties in the United States?*
46. What is the political party of the president now?
47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
C: Rights and Responsibilities
48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
49. What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?*
50. Name one right only for United States citizens.
51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
53. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
54. How old do citizens have to be to vote for president?*
55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
56. When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?*
57. When must all men register for the Selective Service?
American history
A: Colonial period and independence
58. What is one reason colonists came to America?
59. Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
60. What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
61. Why did the colonists fight the British?
62. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
64. There were 13 original states. Name three.
65. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
66. When was the Constitution written?
67. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
68. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
69. Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
70. Who was the first President?*
B: 1800s
71. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
72. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
73. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
74. Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
75. What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?*
76. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
77. What did Susan B. Anthony do?
C: Recent American history and other important historical information
78. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.*
79. Who was president during World War I?
80. Who was president during the Great Depression and World War II?
81. Who did the United States fight in World War II?
82. Before he was president, Dwight D. Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
83. During the cold war, what was the main concern of the United States?
84. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
85. What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?*
86. What major event happened on Sept. 11, 2001, in the United States?
87. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
Integrated civics
A: Geography
88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
89. What ocean is on the west coast of the United States?
90. What ocean is on the east coast of the United States?
91. Name one U.S. territory.
92. Name one state that borders Canada.
93. Name one state that borders Mexico.
94. What is the capital of the United States?*
95. Where is the Statue of Liberty?*
B: Symbols
96. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
97. Why does the flag have 50 stars?*
98. What is the name of the national anthem?
C: Holidays
99. When do we celebrate Independence Day?*
100. Name two national U.S. holidays.
* If you are 65 years old or older and have been a legal permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, you will be asked only questions that have been marked with an asterisk.
The answers from USCIS:
A: Principles of American democracy
1. The Constitution
2. Sets up the government
Defines the government
Protects basic rights of Americans
3. “We the People”
4. A change (to the Constitution)
an addition (to the Constitution)
5. The Bill of Rights
6. Speech
Religion
Assembly
Press
Petition the government
7. Twenty-seven
8. Announced our independence (from Great Britain)
declared our independence (from Great Britain)
said that the United States is free (from Great Britain)
9. Life
Liberty
Pursuit of happiness
10. You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.
11. Capitalist economy
Market economy
12. Everyone must follow the law
Leaders must obey the law
Government must obey the law
No one is above the law.
B: System of government
13. Congress
Legislative
President
Executive
The courts
Judicial
14. Checks and balances
Separation of powers
15. The president
16. Congress
Senate and House of Representatives
(U.S. or national) legislature
17. The Senate and House of Representatives
18. One hundred
19. Six
20. Answer will vary depending on where you live.
21. Four hundred thirty-five
22. Two
23. Answer will vary depending on where you live.
24. All of the people of the state
25. Because of the state’s population
Because they have more people
Because some states have more people
26. Four
27. November
28. Donald Trump
29. Mike Pence
30. The vice president
31. The speaker of the House
32. The president
33. The president
34. The president
35. Advises the president
36. 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
Attorney General
Vice President
37. Reviews laws
Explains laws
Resolves disputes (disagreements)
Decides if a law goes against the Constitution
38. The Supreme Court
39. Nine
40. John Roberts (John G. Roberts, Jr.)
41. To print money
To declare war
To create an army
To make treaties
42. Provide schooling and education
Provide protection (police)
Provide safety (fire departments)
Give a driver’s license
Approve zoning and land use
43. Answer will vary depending on where you live.
44. Answer will vary depending on where you live.
45. Democratic and Republican
46. Republican Party
47. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin)
C: Rights and responsibilities
48. Citizens 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).
49. Serve on a jury
Vote in a federal election
50. Vote in a federal election
Run for federal office
51. Freedom of expression
Freedom of speech
Freedom of assembly
Freedom to petition the government
Freedom of religion
The right to bear arms
52. The United States
The flag
53. Give up loyalty to other countries
Defend the Constitution and laws of the United States
Obey the laws of the United States
Serve in the U.S. military (if needed)
Serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed)
Be loyal to the United States
54. Eighteen and older
55. Vote
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
Call Senators and Representatives
Publicly support or oppose an issue or policy
Run for office
Write to a newspaper
56. April 15
57. At age 18
Between 18 and 26
American history
A: Colonial period and independence
58. Freedom
Political liberty
Religious freedom
Economic opportunity
Practice their religion
Escape persecution
59. American Indians
Native Americans
60. Africans
People from Africa
61. Because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
Because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
Because they didn’t have self-government
62. Thomas Jefferson
63. July 4, 1776
64. New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia
65. The Constitution was written.
The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.
66. 1787
67. James Madison
Alexander Hamilton
John Jay
Publius
68. U.S. diplomat
Oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
First Postmaster General of the United States
Writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac”
Started the first free libraries
69. George Washington
70. George Washington
B: 1800s
71. The Louisiana Territory
Louisiana
72. War of 1812
Mexican-American War
Civil War
Spanish-American War
73. The Civil War
The War between the States
74. Slavery
Economic reasons
States’ rights
75. Freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
Saved (or preserved) the Union
Led the United States during the Civil War
76. Freed the slaves
Freed slaves in the Confederacy
Freed slaves in the Confederate states
Freed slaves in most Southern states
77. Fought for women’s rights
Fought for civil rights
C: Recent American history and other important historical information
78. World War I
World War II
Korean War
Vietnam War
(Persian) Gulf War
79. Woodrow Wilson
80. Franklin Roosevelt
81. Japan, Germany, and Italy
82. World War II
83. Communism
84. The civil rights movement
85. Fought for civil rights
Worked for equality for all Americans
86. Terrorists attacked the United States.
87. Cherokee
Navajo
Sioux
Chippewa
Choctaw
Pueblo
Apache
Iroquois
Creek
Blackfeet
Seminole
Cheyenne
Arawak
Shawnee
Mohegan
Huron
Oneida
Lakota
Crow
Teton
Hopi
Inuit
Integrated civics
A: Geography
88. Missouri
Mississippi
89. Pacific
90. Atlantic
91. Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
American Samoa
Northern Mariana Islands
Guam
92. Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
New York
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Michigan
Minnesota
North Dakota
Montana
Idaho
Washington
Alaska
93. California
Arizona
New Mexico
Texas
94. Washington, D.C.
95. New York (Harbor)
Liberty Island
Also acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson River.
B: Symbols
96. Because there were 13 original colonies
Because the stripes represent the original colonies
97. Because there is one star for each state
Because each star represents a state
Because there are 50 states
98. The Star-Spangled Banner
C: Holidays
99. July 4
100. New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Presidents’ Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas
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