Happy Independence Day

Happy Independence Day everyone!  Today is a day we should appreciate the freedoms we have and how proud we are to be Americans but if we had to take a test today about our country, would you pass?

Here are some questions from the U.S. Citizenship Test, which consists of 100 questions across five categories.  Good luck!

1. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
2. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
3. Who was president during World War I?
4. Who did the United States fight in World War II?
5. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
6. When must all men register for Selective Service?
7. During the Cold War, what was the main concern for the United States?
8. What did Susan B. Anthony do?
9. What did Martin Luther King Jr. do?
10. Who is in charge of the executive branch?
11. We elect a U.S. senator for how many years?
12. If both the president and the vice president can no longer serve, who becomes president?
13. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government.  What is one power of the federal government?
14. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
15. What do we call the first 10 amendments of the Constitution?
16. What is the supreme law of the land?
17. Name one U.S. territory?
18. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution.  What are these words?
19. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
20. How many amendments does the Constitution have?
21. What is the name of the vice president of the United States now?
22. What is the name of the speaker of the House of Representatives now?
23. What is the economic system in the United States?
24. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
25. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution.  Name one of the writers.

I'm guessing this was hard for most of us, right?  I had 14 correct and one partially correct.

There was a  representative sample of 1,000 U.S. citizens that were given the test.  Here's a synopsis: 29% couldn't name the vice president.  73% couldn't correctly say why we fought the Cold War. (including me)  44% were unable to define the Bill of Rights.  6% couldn't even circle Independence Day on a calendar.  

Overall Results:

62% passed

38% failed

Gender:

Men: 67% passed

Women: 58% passed

Income:

Those with highest income brackets did the best on the test.  

Those earning more than $100,000: 75% passed

Those earning less than $20,000: 41% passed

While the real U.S. Citizenship test is composed of 100 questions about American government, systems and government, right and responsibilities, American history and integrated civics, only 10 questions are selected at random to be answered.  In order to pass, you need to get at least 6 correct.   

The next time you see or know of a person who was not born here but became a legal U.S. Citizen, you might want to think twice about them being here. This test is only a part of what they need to do in order to become a citizen.  It can be a very long and costly process. And remember, they might know more about this country than you do.  

The answers are (way) below with the amount of people who answered correctly/incorrectly. 

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

1. July 4, 1776    67% correct, 33% incorrect
2. The Constitution was written    35% correct, 65% incorrect
3. Woodrow Wilson    20% correct, 80% incorrect
4. Japan, Germany and Italy    60% correct, 40% incorrect
5. 435    14% correct, 86% incorrect
6. 18 or between 18 and 26    83% correct, 17% incorrect
7. Communism    27% correct, 73% incorrect
8. Fought for women's rights or fought for civil rights    41% correct, 59% incorrect
9. Fought for civil rights or worked for equality for all Americans    77% correct, 23% incorrect
10. The president    73% correct, 27% incorrect
11. Six    39% correct, 61% incorrect
12. The speaker of the House    58% correct, 42% incorrect
13. (Any one of these answers will work) To print money, to declare war, to create an army, or to make treaties    19% correct, 81% incorrect
14. Nine    37% correct, 63% incorrect
15. The Bill of Rights    57% correct, 43% incorrect
16. The Constitution    30% correct, 70% incorrect
17. (Any of these answers will work) Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Norther Marianas, U.S. Virgin Islands    57% correct, 43% incorrect
18. We the People    74% correct, 26% incorrect
19. The Louisiana Territory, or Louisiana    65% correct, 35% incorrect
20. 27    6% correct, 94% incorrect
21. Joe Biden    71% correct, 29% incorrect
22. John Boehner    41% correct, 59% incorrect
23. Capitalist or market economy    33% correct, 67% incorrect
24. Pacific    91% correct, 9% incorrect
25. (Any one of these answers will work) James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, or Publius    12% correct, 88% incorrect