Printable · 100 cards
Printable 2008 citizenship flashcards
All 100 questions of the 2008 version with the official USCIS answers. Applicants who filed Form N-400 before October 20, 2025. Print them, cut along the dashed lines, and say each answer out loud before you look.
To make a PDF, choose "Save as PDF" as the printer. Answers about current officials are printed as of October 20, 2026 — check uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates before your interview, and write your own senators, representative, governor and capital on the blank cards (find them here). Source: USCIS rev. 08/21.
2008 · #1What is the supreme law of the land?
- the Constitution
2008 · #2What does the Constitution do?
- sets up the government
- defines the government
- protects basic rights of Americans
2008 · #3The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
- We the People
2008 · #4What is an amendment?
- a change (to the Constitution)
- an addition (to the Constitution)
2008 · #5What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
- the Bill of Rights
2008 · #665/20 questionWhat is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
- speech
- religion
- assembly
- press
- petition the government
2008 · #7How many amendments does the Constitution have?
- twenty-seven (27)
2008 · #8What did the Declaration of Independence do?
- announced our independence (from Great Britain)
- declared our independence (from Great Britain)
- said that the United States is free (from Great Britain)
2008 · #9What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
- life
- liberty
- pursuit of happiness
2008 · #10What is freedom of religion?
- You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion.
2008 · #1165/20 questionWhat is the economic system in the United States?
- capitalist economy
- market economy
2008 · #12What is the "rule of law"?
- Everyone must follow the law.
- Leaders must obey the law.
- Government must obey the law.
- No one is above the law.
2008 · #1365/20 questionName one branch or part of the government.
- Congress
- legislative
- President
- executive
- the courts
- judicial
2008 · #14What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
- checks and balances
- separation of powers
2008 · #15Who is in charge of the executive branch?
- the President
2008 · #16Who makes federal laws?
- Congress
- Senate and House (of Representatives)
- (U.S. or national) legislature
2008 · #1765/20 questionWhat are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
- the Senate and House (of Representatives)
2008 · #18How many U.S. Senators are there?
- one hundred (100)
2008 · #19We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
- six (6)
2008 · #2065/20 questionWho is one of your state's U.S. Senators now?
- Answers will vary. Your answer:
2008 · #21The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
- four hundred thirty-five (435)
2008 · #22We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
- two (2)
2008 · #23Name your U.S. Representative.
- Answers will vary. Your answer:
2008 · #24Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
- all people of the state
2008 · #25Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
- (because of) the state's population
- (because) they have more people
- (because) some states have more people
2008 · #26We elect a President for how many years?
- four (4)
2008 · #2765/20 questionIn what month do we vote for President?
- November
2008 · #2865/20 questionWhat is the name of the President of the United States now?
- Donald J. Trump (as of October 20, 2026 — check uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates)
2008 · #29What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
- JD Vance (as of October 20, 2026 — check uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates)
2008 · #30If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
- the Vice President
2008 · #31If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
- the Speaker of the House
2008 · #32Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
- the President
2008 · #33Who signs bills to become laws?
- the President
2008 · #34Who vetoes bills?
- the President
2008 · #35What does the President's Cabinet do?
- advises the President
2008 · #36What are two Cabinet-level positions?
- Secretary of Agriculture
- Secretary of Commerce
- Secretary of Defense
- Secretary of Education
- Secretary of Energy
- Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Secretary of Homeland Security
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Secretary of the Interior
- Secretary of Labor
- Secretary of State
- Secretary of Transportation
- Secretary of the Treasury
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Attorney General
- Vice President
2008 · #37What does the judicial branch do?
- reviews laws
- explains laws
- resolves disputes (disagreements)
- decides if a law goes against the Constitution
2008 · #38What is the highest court in the United States?
- the Supreme Court
2008 · #39How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
- nine (9) (as of October 20, 2026 — check uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates)
2008 · #40Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
- John Roberts (as of October 20, 2026 — check uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates)
2008 · #41Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
- to print money
- to declare war
- to create an army
- to make treaties
2008 · #42Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
- provide schooling and education
- provide protection (police)
- provide safety (fire departments)
- give a driver's license
- approve zoning and land use
2008 · #43Who is the Governor of your state now?
- Answers will vary. Your answer:
2008 · #4465/20 questionWhat is the capital of your state?
- Answers will vary. Your answer:
2008 · #4565/20 questionWhat are the two major political parties in the United States?
- Democratic and Republican
2008 · #46What is the political party of the President now?
- Republican (Party) (as of October 20, 2026 — check uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates)
2008 · #47What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
- Mike Johnson (as of October 20, 2026 — check uscis.gov/citizenship/testupdates)
2008 · #48There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
- Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote).
- You don't have to pay (a poll tax) to vote.
- Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.)
- A male citizen of any race (can vote).
2008 · #4965/20 questionWhat is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
- serve on a jury
- vote in a federal election
2008 · #50Name one right only for United States citizens.
- vote in a federal election
- run for federal office
2008 · #51What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
- freedom of expression
- freedom of speech
- freedom of assembly
- freedom to petition the government
- freedom of religion
- the right to bear arms
2008 · #52What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
- the United States
- the flag
2008 · #53What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
- give up loyalty to other countries
- defend the Constitution and laws of the United States
- obey the laws of the United States
- serve in the U.S. military (if needed)
- serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed)
- be loyal to the United States
2008 · #5465/20 questionHow old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
- eighteen (18) and older
2008 · #55What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
- vote
- join a political party
- help with a campaign
- join a civic group
- join a community group
- give an elected official your opinion on an issue
- call Senators and Representatives
- publicly support or oppose an issue or policy
- run for office
- write to a newspaper
2008 · #5665/20 questionWhen is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
- April 15
2008 · #57When must all men register for the Selective Service?
- at age eighteen (18)
- between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26)
2008 · #58What is one reason colonists came to America?
- freedom
- political liberty
- religious freedom
- economic opportunity
- practice their religion
- escape persecution
2008 · #59Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
- American Indians
- Native Americans
2008 · #60What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
- Africans
- people from Africa
2008 · #61Why did the colonists fight the British?
- because of high taxes (taxation without representation)
- because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering)
- because they didn't have self-government
2008 · #62Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
- (Thomas) Jefferson
2008 · #63When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
- July 4, 1776
2008 · #64There were 13 original states. Name three.
- New Hampshire
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Connecticut
- New York
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware
- Maryland
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Georgia
2008 · #65What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
- The Constitution was written.
- The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution.
2008 · #66When was the Constitution written?
- 1787
2008 · #67The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
- (James) Madison
- (Alexander) Hamilton
- (John) Jay
- Publius
2008 · #68What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
- U.S. diplomat
- oldest member of the Constitutional Convention
- first Postmaster General of the United States
- writer of "Poor Richard's Almanac"
- started the first free libraries
2008 · #69Who is the "Father of Our Country"?
- (George) Washington
2008 · #7065/20 questionWho was the first President?
- (George) Washington
2008 · #71What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
- the Louisiana Territory
- Louisiana
2008 · #72Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s.
- War of 1812
- Mexican-American War
- Civil War
- Spanish-American War
2008 · #73Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
- the Civil War
- the War between the States
2008 · #74Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
- slavery
- economic reasons
- states' rights
2008 · #7565/20 questionWhat was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?
- freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
- saved (or preserved) the Union
- led the United States during the Civil War
2008 · #76What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
- freed the slaves
- freed slaves in the Confederacy
- freed slaves in the Confederate states
- freed slaves in most Southern states
2008 · #77What did Susan B. Anthony do?
- fought for women's rights
- fought for civil rights
2008 · #7865/20 questionName one war fought by the United States in the 1900s.
- World War I
- World War II
- Korean War
- Vietnam War
- (Persian) Gulf War
2008 · #79Who was President during World War I?
- (Woodrow) Wilson
2008 · #80Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
- (Franklin) Roosevelt
2008 · #81Who did the United States fight in World War II?
- Japan, Germany, and Italy
2008 · #82Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
- World War II
2008 · #83During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
- Communism
2008 · #84What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
- civil rights (movement)
2008 · #8565/20 questionWhat did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?
- fought for civil rights
- worked for equality for all Americans
2008 · #86What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?
- Terrorists attacked the United States.
2008 · #87Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
- Cherokee
- Navajo
- Sioux
- Chippewa
- Choctaw
- Pueblo
- Apache
- Iroquois
- Creek
- Blackfeet
- Seminole
- Cheyenne
- Arawak
- Shawnee
- Mohegan
- Huron
- Oneida
- Lakota
- Crow
- Teton
- Hopi
- Inuit
2008 · #88Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
- Missouri (River)
- Mississippi (River)
2008 · #89What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
- Pacific (Ocean)
2008 · #90What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
- Atlantic (Ocean)
2008 · #91Name one U.S. territory.
- Puerto Rico
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- American Samoa
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Guam
2008 · #92Name one state that borders Canada.
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Ohio
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Montana
- Idaho
- Washington
- Alaska
2008 · #93Name one state that borders Mexico.
- California
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Texas
2008 · #9465/20 questionWhat is the capital of the United States?
- Washington, D.C.
2008 · #9565/20 questionWhere is the Statue of Liberty?
- New York (Harbor)
- Liberty Island [Also acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River).]
2008 · #96Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
- because there were 13 original colonies
- because the stripes represent the original colonies
2008 · #9765/20 questionWhy does the flag have 50 stars?
- because there is one star for each state
- because each star represents a state
- because there are 50 states
2008 · #98What is the name of the national anthem?
- The Star-Spangled Banner
2008 · #9965/20 questionWhen do we celebrate Independence Day?
- July 4
2008 · #100Name two national U.S. holidays.
- New Year's Day
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Presidents' Day
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas