B. Learning the Answers to the 100 Questions

• Library: Becoming a U.S. Citizen (Nolo) (2021 Ed.)

B. Learning the Answers to the 100 Questions

In this section, we've summarized the material you'll need to know, and followed that with questions from the official USCIS list. At the end of this chapter, we give you all the questions followed by the answers, so that you'll have a chance to test yourself by choosing questions in random order.

Also check the USCIS website, www.uscis.gov, for study materials (click "Citizenship" then "Find Study Materials and Resources"). You'll find videos, flash cards, and more.

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Don't try to memorize every choice of answer. You'll notice that many of the answers to the 100 questions are in list form, giving you several options. But read carefully, because they usually ask you to provide only one or two items off the list as your answer. You might as well choose the one or two you want to memorize, and not bother with the rest. In fact, if you try to supply more answers than are asked for, you may be marked as wrong.

The questions and answers are grouped into the following categories:

• Principles of American Democracy (discussed in Section B1, below)
• System of Government (see Section B2)
• Rights and Responsibilities (see Section B3)
• American History: Colonial Period and Independence (see Section B4)
• American History: 1800s (see Section B5)
• Recent American History and Other Important Historical Information (see Section B6).
• Geography (see Section B7)
• Symbols (see Section B8), and
• Holidays (see Section B9).

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Age 65 or over? Look for the asterisk. You'll notice that some of the questions are marked with an asterisk (which looks like "*"). These are the only ones that people age 65 or older who've had a green card for more than 20 years will need to remember. We've also made a separate list of these questions in Section C, below.

1. Principles of American Democracy

The first set of questions is primarily concerned with two of the most important documents in U.S. history: the Constitution (including the First Amendment) and the Declaration of Independence.

The Constitution is the "supreme law of the land"—meaning, according to USCIS, that it:

• sets up the government
• defines the government, and
• protects basic rights of all Americans.

However, the Constitution was written so as to make clear that it represents self-government by the people of America. In fact, the first three words of the Constitution are "We the People."

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Want to read the full text of the Constitution? Ask at your local library or go to www.archives.gov. Click "America's Founding Documents."

The Constitution is not fixed in stone. Through a process called "amendment," it can either be changed or added to. Today, there are a total of 27 amendments.

The first ten amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights. And the first one of these ten is particularly important. Here is what the First Amendment says:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

From this, you'll need to remember that people in the U.S. are guaranteed rights to freedom:

• of speech
• of religion
• of assembly
• of the press, and
• to petition the government.

Here's a little more explanation if you're having trouble remembering these. Freedom of the "press" means of the media (like newspapers and television), which the government is not supposed to interfere with or censor. Freedom of assembly means the right to meet and gather (which might include holding demonstrations).

Freedom to "petition the government for a redress of grievances" means to ask it to fix things that it has done wrong. And you might be asked to explain freedom of religion, which means, "You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion."

The second important document for you to learn about is the Declaration of Independence. This is where the first colonists announced that the United States is free from Great Britain. They also declared that people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (You'll need to remember at least two of those.)

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To see the full text of the Declaration of Independence: Ask at your local law library or go to the website of the National Archives and Records Administration (www.archives.gov). Click "America's Founding Documents."

Another question in this section concerns the U.S. economic system. You're expected to know that it is a capitalist, or market economy. (That means that goods and services can be privately owned and traded.)

And the final question asks you to define the "rule of law." This is an important question, because the U.S.—and the very immigration system that will allow you to become a citizen—runs according to previously written laws. In other words, no one monarch or dictator can make up the rules as he or she goes along. Your possible answers include:

• Everyone must follow the law.
• Leaders must obey the law.
• Government must obey the law.
• No one is above the law.

Now let's see if you can answer the first 12 questions on USCIS's list.

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?"

You'll find the answers (along with a full list of the questions) at the end of this chapter. And if you're 65 or older, remember that the questions with asterisks might be the only ones you need to study, as explained earlier in this chapter.

2. System of Government

In this set of questions, you're asked to provide information about how the U.S. government is set up. Once you understand the government's basic structure, these questions are not as hard as they look. In any case, this information will be important once you become a citizen because it will help you understand what the federal government is doing.

The federal (national) government is divided into three branches: executive (also known as the president and those who directly serve him or her), legislative (also known as Congress), and judicial (also known as the courts). The idea of having these three branches is to create checks and balances, or a separation of powers, so that no one branch of government becomes too powerful. Look at the diagram below.

The executive...