May 08, 2011
American Students Fail Basic Civics Test That Most Immigrants Could Pass
Could You Pass the U .S . Citizenship Test?
This should come to no suprise to anyone who has watched Jay Leno's "Jaywalking segments", but when high school students were asked 10 basic questions about history and government, selected from the national citizenship test, which is administered to immigrants through the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, they couldn't answer most of them.
In fact:
A staggering 77 percent didn’t know the name of the first President of the United States. An astounding 86 percent couldn’t name the author of the Declaration of Independence. A whopping 90 percent didn’t know how many justices there are on the U.S. Supreme Court. A paltry 2.8 percent of those polled actually “passed” this mock citizenship test. Could you pass? Here are some sample questionsThe U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) administers a test to all immigrants applying for citizenship. For years, these questions have been selected from among the following list of 100. How would you do? Many, you will find simple. Others are not so easy. In all cases, the answer USCIS wants to hear is given.
http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/blinsts...
In fact:
A staggering 77 percent didn’t know the name of the first President of the United States. An astounding 86 percent couldn’t name the author of the Declaration of Independence. A whopping 90 percent didn’t know how many justices there are on the U.S. Supreme Court. A paltry 2.8 percent of those polled actually “passed” this mock citizenship test. Could you pass? Here are some sample questionsThe U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) administers a test to all immigrants applying for citizenship. For years, these questions have been selected from among the following list of 100. How would you do? Many, you will find simple. Others are not so easy. In all cases, the answer USCIS wants to hear is given.
http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/blinsts...
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
A. Principles of American Democracy
1. What is the supreme law of the land?
> sets up the government
> defines the government
> protects basic rights of Americans
3. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
> We the People
4. What is an amendment?
> a change (to the Constitution)
> an addition (to the Constitution)
5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
> The Bill of Rights
6. What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?*
> speech
> religion
> assembly
> press
> petition the government
http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/blinsts...