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US Citizenship Civics Test: Government Basics

Study 24 official questions from the USCIS naturalization civics test covering the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the three branches of government. Answers use the official USCIS wording.

Who this deck is for

Green-card holders preparing for the U.S. naturalization interview, and civics students.

Scope

A 24-question subset of the official 100-question USCIS civics test (2008 version), covering “Principles of American Democracy” and “System of Government”. Questions whose official answers change over time (current office-holders, number of Supreme Court justices) are deliberately excluded — check the USCIS website for those before your interview.

Review

Flashcard Maker editorial — each Q&A was checked word-by-word against the official USCIS “100 Civics Questions and Answers (2008 version)” document. Last reviewed: 2026-08-14.

Sources
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All 24 cards in this deck

  1. 1. What is the supreme law of the land?
    The Constitution.
  2. 2. What does the Constitution do?
    It sets up the government, defines the government, and protects basic rights of Americans. (Any one of these is an accepted answer.)
  3. 3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
    “We the People.”
  4. 4. What is an amendment?
    A change (to the Constitution) or an addition (to the Constitution).
  5. 5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
    The Bill of Rights.
  6. 6. What is ONE right or freedom from the First Amendment?
    Speech — or religion, assembly, press, or petition the government. (Any one is accepted.)
  7. 7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?
    Twenty-seven (27).
  8. 8. What did the Declaration of Independence do?
    It announced our independence from Great Britain / declared our independence / said that the United States is free from Great Britain.
  9. 9. What are TWO rights in the Declaration of Independence?
    Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (Any two.)
  10. 10. What is freedom of religion?
    You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.
  11. 11. What is the economic system in the United States?
    A capitalist economy / a market economy.
  12. 12. 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.
  13. 13. Name ONE branch or part of the government.
    Congress (legislative) — or the President (executive), or the courts (judicial). (Any one.)
  14. 14. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
    Checks and balances / separation of powers.
  15. 15. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
    The President.
  16. 16. Who makes federal laws?
    Congress — the Senate and House (of Representatives) / the (U.S. or national) legislature.
  17. 17. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
    The Senate and the House (of Representatives).
  18. 18. How many U.S. Senators are there?
    One hundred (100).
  19. 19. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
    Six (6).
  20. 20. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
    Four hundred thirty-five (435).
  21. 21. We elect a President for how many years?
    Four (4).
  22. 22. In what month do we vote for President?
    November.
  23. 23. If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
    The Vice President.
  24. 24. What are the two major political parties in the United States?
    Democratic and Republican.

Good to know

  • •In the real interview an officer asks up to 10 of the 100 questions and you must answer 6 correctly (2008 version).
  • •Some official questions have several acceptable answers; the card shows the most common accepted answers.
  • •Always verify time-sensitive answers (current officials) on uscis.gov before your interview — they are not included in this deck.

Found an error, or content you believe violates our Terms? Email support@onlineflashcardmaker.com — we fix verified reports and update the review date.

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