| The following information prepares you for the citizenship interview. (If you are 65 years old or above, and have been permanent residents for more than 20 years, click here for interview questions.) 1. THE FLAG There are three colors on the flag: read, white, and blue. There are 50 stars on the flag, representing 50 states. There are 13 stripes on the flag: seven red stripes and six white stripes. Each stripe is for each of the first 13 states called colonies. Pledge: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 2. GOVERNMENT Three branches of the government: legislative, executive and judicial.
Questions you should be able to answer: (Be familiar with the about table)
3. FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS The United States is a republic. There are three levels of government: federal, state and local. Similar to the government, the most state governments have also three branches: legislative, state court and governor. Local governments include city, town and county. Questions you should be able to answer:
4. CONSTITUTION Constitution is the highest law in the US. It is called "the supreme law of the land." It governs the three branches of the US government. Changes in the Constitution are called "amendments." There are 26 amendments to the Constitution. The 1st ten amendments are called "the Bill of Rights." It gives the rights and freedoms to all people in the US. The 1st amendment gives Americans important rights: freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly. Questions you should be able to answer:
5. HISTORY Columbus sailed from Spain to find China but landed on some islands near the Atlantic Coast. He called people living there Indians, who we call Native Americans today. Colonists were people from England first coming to America in the 1600s. The original 13 states were called colonies. The first colony was in Jamestown, Virginia (1607). In 1620 other colonists called came to Plymouth, Massachusetts. They were Pilgrims and came to America for religious freedom. The sailed to America on a ship named the Mayflower. Questions you should be able to answer:
The first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims in the Plymouth colony. They celebrated in order to thank the Native Americans who helped them to settle down. Today, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday in November. They usually eat turkey, potatoes, corn and cranberries, as the Pilgrims did at their first Thanksgiving. The original 13 states were called colonies, which were on the Atlantic Coast. They were:new Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, new Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Questions you should be able to answer:
The Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence. Colonists in America were not happy with England. In 1773, England put a high tax on tea. Some colonists went onto a tea ship and threw tea into water. This is called the Boston Tea Party. The colonists met in Philadelphia in 1774 and decided not to boycott English goods. At the meeting, Patrick Henry said, "Give me liberty or give me death." The Revolutionary War began in 1775 and ended in 1783 (about 8 years). The American colonists fought against England. They fought the war because they paid very high taxes to England, they had no representatives in England and could not vote on English laws. They wanted to be independent of England. The leader of the Colonial Army was George Washington. The colonies won the war. In 1776 the colonists met at Independence hall in Philadelphia and declared their independence. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, which said that the colonies were free and independent of England. Representatives of all 13 colonies signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, which was the birthday of the US and became Independence Day, a national holiday. The Declaration of Independence says that all men are created equal, which is the basic belief of the Declaration of Independence. Questions you should be able to answer:
Constitution. After the War, there were 13 governments for 13 colonies. In 1787, they met in Philadelphia and wrote the Constitution to form the government of the United States. The introduction to the Constitution is called the Preamble, which begins with three very famous words: We the People. According to the Constitution, the President must be a natural born citizen of the US, age 35 or older, and must live in the US for at least 14 years. The President signs bills into law, appoints members of the Cabinet. But, only Congress has the power to declare war. The President's term is four years and can serve two terms. Americans vote for the President in November. The President is inaugurated in January. If the President dies, the Vice President becomes the President. If both die, the Speaker of the House of Representatives becomes the President. Questions you should be able to answer:
National Anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, was written by Francis Scott Key and it is about the flag of the US. The US and England fought each other in the War of 1812. The British burned the White House and the Capitol Building. Francis S. Key watched the battle at Baltimore Harbor. He saw the American flag. He wrote The Star-Spangled Banner, which became the national anthem. Expansion. After the Revolutionary War, the US bought the Louisiana region from France and Florida from Spain. It got Texas and California after the wars with Mexico. It got the Oregon country after it signed a treaty with England. Russia sold Alaska to the US. Hawaii was the last joining the US. Alaska and Hawaii are the 49th and 50th states. Questions you should be able to answer:
The Civil War. It was a war between the North and South states. They fought from 1861 to 1865. The North states were called the Union and the South states were called the Confederacy. One main cause of the Civil War was slavery. The North wanted to end the system of slavery but the South did not. Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President in 1861, was against slavery. In 1863 he signed the Emancipation Proclamation to free the slaves. The North won the war in 1865. Five days after the war, President Lincoln was assassinated. In February, Americans celebrate Presidents' Day to honor George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. There are 26 amendments to the Constitution. After the Civil War, there were three important amendments:
The other important ones are:
Questions you should be able to answer:
Important Dates in the US history:
Other Important History Facts:
World War I. 1914-1918. In 1917, the US started to help England, France and Russia fight against Germany and Austria-Hungary. The Depression. 1929-1939. The American economy collapsed. World War II. 1939-1945. The US, England, Russia, China and other countries were called Allied nations. They fought against Germany, Italy and Japan. The US entered the war in 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. In 1945 the US dropped two atomic bombs on Japan and the Allied won the war. The United Nations. It was formed after World War II. The Cold War. The US and the Soviet Union did not fight each other, but they competed with each other politically and economically. It was called the Cold War. The Korean War (1950-1953) and the Vietnam War (1964-1973). The US fought communists. The Civil Rights Movement. In the 1950s and 1960s. To end discrimination against blacks. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the leader of the movement. In 1963, he led hundreds of thousands of people in a demonstration to support new civil rights laws. It was called the March on Washington. In 1968, He was killed. On the third Monday in January every year, Americans remember him in a national holiday, Martin Luther King's Day. Citizens' Rights and Responsibilities. Rights to vote. The Democratic and Republic parties are the two major political parties in the US. Citizens have responsibilities as follows: obey the law, pay taxes, serve on a jury, and be active in their communities. Some Presidents: (for all Presidents) George Washington: the first President, and Commander-in-Chief of the US. He served two terms. He is called the father of the country. Franklin D. Roosevelt: President (1932-1945). He became the President during the Depression. His plan to help the country was called The New Deal. The Social Security system began. He died during his fourth term in 1945. John F. Kennedy: President (1961-1963). Youngest president. He sent soldiers to Vietnam. He was assassinated in 1963. Richard Nixon: President (1969-1974). He began relations with China. He ended US role in Vietnam. He resigned because of Watergate scandal. Gerald Ford: President (1974-1977). He was the first president not elected. He took office after Nixon resigned. Bill Clinton: President (1993-now). Questions you should be able to answer:
6. 100 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (INS examiners use them or questions similar to them). In Chinese. 1. What are the colors of the flag? - Red, white, and blue. 2. How many start are there in the flag? - 50. 3. What color are the stars on the flag? - White. 4. What do the stars on the flag mean? - One for each state in the Union. 5. How many stripes are there in the flag? - 13. 6. What color are the stripes? - Red and white. 7. What do the stripes on the flag mean? - They represent the original 13 states. 8. How many states are there in the Union? - 50. 9. What is the 4th of July? - Independence Day. 10. What is the date of Independence Day? - July 4th. 11. Independence from whom? - England. 12. What country did we fight during the Revolutionary War? - England. 13. Who was the first President of the US? - George Washington. 14. Who is the President of the US today? - 15. Who is the Vice President today? - 16. Who elects the President? - The electoral college. 17. Who becomes the President if he dies? - Vice President. 18. For how long do we elect the President? - Four years. 19. What is Constitution? - The supreme law of the land. 20. Can the Constitution be changed? - Yes. 21. What do we call a change to the Constitution? - Amendment. 22. How many changes or amendments are there to the Constitution? - 26. 23. How many branches are there in the government? - 3. 24. What are they? - Legislative, executive, and judiciary. 25. What is the legislative branch of our government? - Congress. 26. Who makes the law? - Congress. 27. What is Congress? - The Senate and the House of Representatives. 28. What are the duties of Congress? - To make laws. 29. Who elects Congress? - The people. 30. How many senators in Congress? - 100. 31. Can you name two senators from your state? - Find here. 32. For how long do we elect each senator? - 6 years. 33. How many representatives are there in Congress? - 435. Find here. 34. For how long do we elect them? - 2 years. 35. What is the executive branch of the government? - The President, cabinet, and departments under cabinet members. 36. What is the judiciary branch of the government? - The Supreme Court. 37. What are the duties of the Supreme Court? - To explain laws. 38. What is the supreme law? - The Constitution. 39.What is the Bill of Rights? - The first ten amendments to the Constitution. 40. What is the capital of your state? - Albany (New York). 41. Who is the current governor of your state? - 42. Who becomes the President if the President and the Vice President die? - The Speaker of the House of Representatives. 43. Who is the Chief Justice of the US? - 44. Can you name the 13 original states? - New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. 45. Who said," Give me liberty or give me death?" - Patrick Henry. 46. Which countries were our enemies during World War II? - Germany, Italy and Japan. 47. What ere the 49th and 50th states of the Union? - Alaska and Hawaii. 48. How many terms can a President serve? - 2. 49. Who was Martin Luther King, jr.? - A civil rights leader. 50. Who is the head of your local government? - 51. What are requirements for one to be the President? - Natural born citizen of the US, at least 35 years old, must live in the US for at least 14 years. 52. Why are there 100 senators? - 2 from each state. 53. Who elects the Supreme Court justices? - Appointed by the President. 54. How many are they? - 9. 55. Why did the Pilgrims come to America? - For religious freedom. 56. What is the head executive of a state government called? - Governor. 57. And city? - Mayor. 58. What holiday was first celebrated by the American colonists? - Thanksgiving. 59. Who was the main author of the Declaration of Independence? - Thomas Jefferson. 60. When was it signed? - July 4th, 1776. 61. What is the basic belief of the Declaration of Independence? - That all men are created equal. 62. What is the national anthem? - The Star-Spangled Banner. 63. Who wrote the Star-Spangled Banner? - Francis Scott Key. 64. Where does freedom of of speech come from? - The Bill of Rights. 65. What is the minimum voting age? - 18. 66. Who signs bills into law? - The President. 67. What is the highest court in the US? - The Supreme Court. 68. Who was President during the Civil War? - Abraham Lincoln. 69. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do? - It freed many slaves. 70. What special group advises the President? - The Cabinet. 71. Which President is called " the father of the our country?" - George Washington. 72. What immigration and naturalization Service form is used to apply to become a naturalized citizen? - Form N-400. "Application to File Petition for Naturalization." 73. Who helped the Pilgrims in America? - The American Indians (Native Americans). 74. What is the name of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America? - The Mayflower. 75. What were the 13 original states called? - Colonies. 76. Name three rights or freedoms by the Bill of Rights. - Freedom of speech, the press, religion, and assembly. The right to own a gun (bear arms). The government needs a warrant to search or take a person's property. A person may not be tried twice for the same crime,a and does not have to testify against himself. The right to a trial by jury. 77. Who has the power to declare war? - The Congress. 78. What kind of government does the United States have? - Republic. 79. Which president freed the slaves? - Abraham Lincoln. 80. In what year was the Constitution written? - 1787. 81. What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called? - The Bill of Rights. 82. Name one purpose of the United Nations. - For countries to discuss and try to resolve world problems; to provide economic aid to many countries. 83. Where does Congress meet? - Capitol. 84. Whose rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? - Everyone. 85. What is the introduction to the Constitution called? The Preamble. 86. Name one benefit of being a citizen? Obtain federal government jobs; travel with a US passport; petition for close relatives to come to the US. 87. What is US Capitol? - The place where Congress meets. 89. What is the White House? - The President's official home. 90. Where is the White House? - Washington DC. 91. What is the name of the President's official home? - The White House. 92. Name one right guaranteed by the first amendment. - Freedom of speech (press, religion, assembly). 93. Who is the Commander-in-Chief of the US military? - The President. 94. Which President was the first Commander-in-Chief? - George Washington. 95. In what month is the new President inaugurated? - January. 96. In what month do we vote for a new president? - November. 97. How many times may a senator be re-elected? - No limit. 98. How many times may a Congressman be re-elected? - No limit. 99. What are the 2 major political parties? - Democratic and Republican. 100. How many states are there in the United States? - 50. SOURCE BOOKS Books assisting in preparing the interview can be found in most of the public libraries. Here are some titles: Voices of Freedom: English
and Civics for the US Citizenship Exam (Compiled by Lincoln Xia) |
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Legislative Branch: There are 100 senators, two from each
state. States with many people have more representatives. They work in the Capitol.
Congress has the power to declare war.
Executive Branch: The President is the chief executive of
the branch. The President is Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President can
serve two terms. The President works and lives in White House. If the President dies, the
Vice President becomes the new President. 
Judicial Branch: Supreme Court and other federal courts.
There are 9 judges in the Supreme Court. They are not elected by people but appointed by
the President and approved by the Senate. The head of the Supreme Court is the Chief
Justice of the United States.