Carmine

Okay, I realize that most of you reading this article already are citizens, but what if you werent? My mother was born in Scotland and had to become a citizen to stay and work in New Jersey, where we lived. But, back in the sixties, the test was pretty intense. I remember spending hours helping her memorize the presidents, amendments to the constitution, and US history. The test has evolved over the years and expect that everyone who was born in the US should be capable of passing it. But why am I not so sure? Is it because when Jay Leno does his Jaywalking segment filmed outside his studio and asks questions like, Who was the first President, I cringe? Its because of the answers like, Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, or Abraham Lincoln. Yipes!

Fine, maybe he picked some slow people that day. But how would you do answering sample questions from the INS Citizenship test? Heres you chance to prove me right or wrong on how I think the average American would fare. Take your time, good luck and please dont cheat by looking at the answers below. Ive picked just 20 of a possible 100, at random.

1. How many stripes are on the US flag and what do they mean?
2. Who was the first President of the United States?
3. Who is the current Vice-President of the US?
4. Who elects the President of the US?
5. For how long do we elect the President?
6. Who elects the Congress?
7. What is the supreme law of the US?
8. What is the Bill of Rights?
9. Who said, Give me liberty or give me death?
10. Name any 6 of the original 13 states.
11. Who was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence?
12. Who was president during the Civil War?
13. Who selects the Supreme Court Justices?
14. What is the national anthem of the US called and who wrote it?
15. What type of government does the US have?
16. What month do we vote for the President?
17. What month is the President inaugurated?
18. How many times may a President serve?
19. How many states are there as of 2007?
20. Name any benefit of US citizenship?

How did you do? Did you have to peek at the answers? Shame on you! But, in all fairness, I doubt if many would get all of these right. So here are the answers and Ill discuss a few at the bottom.

1. There are 13 stripes, each representing an original state.
2. George Washington was the first President.
3. Richard B. Cheney is the current Vice-President in 2007.
4. The electoral college actually elects the President.
5. The President serves for 4 years in a term.
6. Congress is elected directly by the people.
7. The Constitution is the supreme law of the US.
8. The first 13 amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights.
9. Patrick Henry said, Give me liberty of give me death.
10. The original states are: Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Rhode Island, and Maryland.
11. Thomas Jefferson was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence.
12. Abraham Lincoln was President during the Civil War.
13. The President of the US selects Supreme Court Justices.
14. The US national anthem is the Star-Spangled Banner by Frances Scott Key.
15. The United States operates under a Democracy.
16. We vote for the President in November.
17. The President takes the oath of office in January.
18. The President may only serve 2, 4-year terms of office.
19. Currently, in 2007, we have 50 states, including the District of Columbia.
20. A Benefit of citizenship? This is for you to decide.

The last question could be answered by using the amendments of the Bill of Rights. Here are just a few, beginning with the very first one: You have the right of freedom of speech, press, religion, peaceable assembly, and requesting change of government. You have the right to bear arms (the right to have weapons or own a gun, though subject to certain regulations). A person may not be tried twice for the same crime and does not have to testify against him/herself. You have the right to trial by jury in most cases. In addition, here are some others: You are allowed to vote and elect your representatives, you are protected by the US military and local police, you are subject to everything written into the Constitution and therefore can live with more freedom than in almost any other country.

So, once again, how did you do? The INS is considering going to multiple choices in 2008, but with some tougher questions. Such as, name your two state Senators, what is our economic system called, and what was the primary purpose of the Declaration of Independence? But, aside from those, you should have known every one of the above 20 questions. Most children are taught the answers by high school. If you had trouble with a few, then youre probably average. More than 10, then you should hit the books. More than 15? How long have you lived here? If you got them all wrong? De donde eres, por favor?

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master's Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, "Pursuit of the Phoenix." His latest book is, "Inside the Yellow Pages" which can be seen at his website, http://www.poweradbook.com Currently, he is the Marketing Director for http://www.thenurseschoice.com a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.