The ideas the U.S. government is built on: the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the rule of law and the economic system.
The 2025 version has 15 questions in this section; the 2008 version has 12. Each question below shows the official accepted answers and, where USCIS explains it, a short excerpt from a USCIS study guide. Practise just this topic with the quiz.
Questions about current officials and your own state are not in the quiz — those answers change. Check them on your state page and on uscis.gov. Full test: free practice test.
For applicants who filed Form N-400 on or after October 20, 2025. Answers are copied from the official USCIS list (M-1778); any one accepted answer is enough.
What is the form of government of the United States?
The Constitution establishes a system of government called “representative democracy.” In a representative democracy, citizens choose representatives to make the laws.
What is the supreme law of the land? 65/20
The sixth section of the Constitution says the Constitution is the supreme law of the land in the United States. This means that everyone living in the United States must follow the Constitution.
Name one thing the U.S. Constitution does.
The Constitution sets up the government and enshrines the basic rights of the American People. The first three sections of the Constitution set up the U.S. government.
The U.S. Constitution starts with the words "We the People." What does "We the People" mean?
The Preamble also says that under the Constitution, the people of the United States will have self-government. This means that the people of the United States are not governed by a king or a queen.
How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?
A change to the Constitution is called an amendment. For an amendment to be added to the Constitution it must be approved by three-fourths of the states in the United States.
What does the Bill of Rights protect?
The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights lists some of the basic rights of people living in the United States.
How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have? 65/20
There are 27 amendments to the Constitution. The 27 amendments are listed after the seven sections of the original Constitution.
Why is the Declaration of Independence important?
The Declaration of Independence announced our independence from Great Britain. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote that everyone has the right to: life; liberty; and the pursuit of happiness.
What founding document said the American colonies were free from Britain?
The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence announced our independence from Great Britain.
Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
The Declaration of Independence contains important ideas about the American system of government. The Declaration of Independence states that all people are created equal and have “certain unalienable rights.”
The words "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" are in what founding document?
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote that everyone has the right to: life; liberty; and the pursuit of happiness.
What is the economic system of the United States? 65/20
The economic system in the United States is called a “capitalist economy”. It is also sometimes called a “market economy”. In a market economy, the government does not control the economy.
What is the rule of law?
In the United States, we support the “rule of law.” This means that we believe that no one is above the law, and everyone must follow the law.
Many documents influenced the U.S. Constitution. Name one.
Some of the Founders who were at the Constitutional Convention began to write essays called the Federalist Papers. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution.
There are three branches of government. Why?
They decided to separate the powers of government so that no one person or group could become too powerful. Separation of powers stops one branch from becoming too powerful.
For applicants who filed Form N-400 before October 20, 2025. Answers are from the official USCIS list (rev. 08/21).
What is the supreme law of the land?
The Founding Fathers of the United States wrote the Constitution in 1787. The Constitution is the “supreme law of the land.” Laws made in the United States must follow the Constitution.
What does the Constitution do?
The Constitution of the United States divides government power between the national government and state governments. The name for this division of power is “federalism.”
The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
With the words “We the People,” the Constitution states that the people set up the government. The government works for the people and protects the rights of people.
What is an amendment?
An amendment is a change or addition to the Constitution. The Framers of the Constitution knew that laws can change as a country grows. They did not want to make it too easy to modify the Constitution, the supreme law of the land.
What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. When the Framers wrote the Constitution, they did not focus on individual rights. They focused on creating the system and structure of government.
What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment? 65/20
The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights protects a person’s right to freedom of expression. Freedom of expression allows open discussion and debate on public issues.
How many amendments does the Constitution have?
The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights. They were added in 1791. Since then, 17 more amendments have been added.
What did the Declaration of Independence do?
The Declaration of Independence contains important ideas about the American system of government. The Declaration of Independence states that all people are created equal and have “certain unalienable rights.”
What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
The Declaration of Independence lists three rights that the Founding Fathers considered to be natural and “unalienable.” They are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
What is freedom of religion?
Colonists from Spain, France, Holland, England, and other countries came to America for many different reasons. One of the reasons was religious freedom. For this reason, freedom of religion was included in the Constitution as part of the Bill of Rights.
What is the economic system in the United States? 65/20
The economic system of the United States is capitalism. In the American economy, most businesses are privately owned. Competition and profit motivate businesses.
What is the "rule of law"?
John Adams was one of the Founding Fathers and the second president of the United States. He wrote that our country is, “a government of laws, and not of men.” The rule of law means that everyone (citizens and leaders) must obey the laws.
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