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New Citizenship Test Debuting

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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Emilio Gonzalez announced the release of 144 questions and answers for the pilot test of a new naturalization exam.

USCIS will administer the pilot exam to about 5,000 volunteer citizenship applicants in 10 cities beginning in early 2007.

Included are new questions that focus on the concepts of democracy and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. In designing the new exam, USCIS received assistance and worked with test development contractors, U.S. history and government scholars, and English as a Second Language experts.

A variety of stakeholders - including immigrant advocacy groups, citizenship instructors and District Adjudications Officers -- provided input to the pilot test.

Dr. Matthew Spalding, director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies at The Heritage Foundation, was one of the outside experts involved in the design of the test guidelines and the development of the new questions.

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  "This is a significant achievement,” said Spalding. "Rather than encouraging the rote memorization of mere facts and figures, the new test will emphasize an understanding of the basic core concepts of our political tradition - concepts that all Americans must know to be good citizens. Studying and learning these concepts, the citizenship test will serve to assimilate immigrants and encourage their attachment to America.”

Dr. Spalding is the author of "Making Citizens: The Case for Patriotic Assimilation,” a Heritage Foundation study on the history and policy arguments concerning the formation of new citizens.

Aa a part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), USCIS is responsible for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and establishing immigration services policies and priorities.

By law, new citizens must demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history and of the principles and form of government of the United States.

The pilot will allow USCIS to work out any problems and refine the exam before it is fully implemented nationwide in the spring of 2008.

During the trial period, volunteer applicants who choose to take the pilot exam can immediately take the current exam if they incorrectly answer a pilot question. To pass, applicants will have to correctly answer six of 10 selected questions.

The 10 pilot test sites are: Albany, N.Y.; Boston, Mass.; Charleston, S.C.; Denver, Colo.; El Paso, Texas; Kansas City, Mo.; Miami, Fla.; San Antonio, Texas; Tucson, Ariz.; and Yakima, Wash.

Some of the new questions to appear on the citizenship test include:

Name one important idea found in the Declaration of Independence.
A: People are born with natural rights.
A: The power of government comes from the people.
A: The people can change their government if it hurts their natural rights.
A: All people are created equal.

Name one right or freedom from the First Amendment.
A: Speech
A: Religion
A: Assembly
A: Press
A: Petition the government

What does freedom of religion mean?
A: You can practice any religion you want, or not practice at all.

What type of economic system does the U.S. have?
A: Capitalist economy
A: Free market
A: Market economy

Name one example of checks and balances.
A: The President vetoes a bill.
A: Congress can confirm or not confirm a President’s nomination.
A: Congress approves the President’s budget.
A: The Supreme Court strikes down a law.

What does it mean that the U.S. Constitution is a constitution of limited powers?
A: The federal government has only the powers that the Constitution states that it has.
A: The states have all powers that the federal government does not.

What is self-government?
A: Powers come from the people.
A: Government responds to the people.

What are "inalienable rights”?
A: Individual rights that people are born with

What is the Pledge of Allegiance?
A: The promise of loyalty to the flag and the nation

Name one promise you make when you say the Oath of Allegiance.
A: To give up loyalty to other countries (I give up loyalty to my [old][first][other] country.)
A: To defend the Constitution and laws of the United States
A: To obey the laws of the United States
A: To serve in the United States military if needed (To fight for the United States [if needed].)
A: To serve the nation if needed (To do important work for the United States [if needed].)
A: To be loyal to the United States

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