For Independence Day, a Citizenship Quiz
This past election, more than 160 million Americans voted, the largest turnout in American history, and Joe Biden won more votes than any presidential candidate ever has in a U.S. presidential election.
But almost 240 million Americans were eligible to vote.
Do the math: 80 million citizens did not vote. Great Britain boasts 67 million people, total. Italy, 60 million. South Africa, about 58 million. In essence, an entire country of Americans didn’t vote.
Sometimes we take our citizenship – and therefore our freedoms – for granted. We forget our civics lessons, or we throw up our hands in despair, or we think our vote won’t matter. But to people who want to be American citizens, there is a recognition that the privilege of a vote bestows power onto a single voice. They learn that every vote counts.
Before individuals can become U.S. citizens, they must jump through many hoops, including passing a civics test. The exam, an oral test, is administered by an officer of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security. The USCIS Officer will ask applicants up to 10 of 100 civics questions; to pass, applicants must answer six out of 10 questions correctly.
If you were given the test today, could you pass? I’m giving you a random sampling of 10 questions from the test. Answers are at the bottom of the page. If you want to see all 100, you may do so here:
1: Name two Cabinet-level positions.
2: What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
3: What is the “rule of law”?
4: Name one branch or part of the government.
5: The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
6: Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
7: If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
8: How many amendments does the Constitution have?
9: What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
10: What is the supreme law of the land?
1. 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
2. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
3. Everyone must follow the law; Leaders must obey the law; Government must obey the law, and no one is above the law.
4. Congress, Legislative, President, Executive, the courts and Judicial.
5. Four hundred thirty-five (435)
6. Provide schooling and education ▪ provide protection (police) ▪ provide safety (fire departments) ▪ give a driver’s license ▪ approve zoning and land use
7. The Speaker of the House
8. Twenty-seven (27).
9. Speech, religion, assembly, the press, and the right to petition the government.
10. The Constitution.
Happy Independence Day weekend!
Jane