New Citizenship Test

I was reading about the new citizenship test and of course the headlines say things like "Can you pass the new test?" I think it's pretty disgraceful that papers all across the country write this headline in a joking way. Lack of knowledge about American History and Government is not funny. It's sad.

I know the curriculum for US History is a solid one, but what we lack is mandatory Civics class. A lot of the problems we are trying to tackle with the Upstate Conservatives group stem from the absence of qualified candidates for office- whether the local town offices or statewide. If more people understood the system and the importance of being involved, we'd have fewer "big bosses" running the show. I don't think it's realistic to have every office filled with someone who agrees politically- we don't need a one-party dictatorship- but there is certainly room for reasonable, sensible-minded individuals who want to govern in a way to benefit citizens.

I have had students whose parents went through untold hardships to move to America for a better life and I know that passing a test like the Citizenship test is almost silly in comparison. If you move your family from war-torn Sarajevo or Ethiopia or want to escape Communist China so your kids can be better off, isn't that a test in itself? I want immigrants who are motivated to come here and better themselves, learn English, teach their children democracy. Can a citizenship test prove actual worthiness?

Becoming a citizen is not like becoming a licensed driver. To be an American citizen is in the heart, not in the head.

Michael Brewster


from the Arizona Republic:

New test

1. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one.
Answer: Any citizen over 18 can vote. A citizen of any race can vote. Any male or female citizen can vote. You don't have to pay to vote.

2. 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. States have all the powers the federal government does not.

3. Name two of the natural, or inalienable, rights in the Declaration of Independence.
A: Life. Liberty. The pursuit of happiness.

4. Why did the colonists fight the British?
A: They had to pay high taxes but did not have any say about it. Taxation without representation. The British army stayed in their houses. The British denied the colonists self-government.

5. Where is the Grand Canyon?
A: Arizona. The Southwest. Along the Colorado River.


Current test

1.What do the stars on the flag mean?
A: One for each state.

2.What is the Constitution?
A: The supreme law of the land.

3. What is the executive of a state government called?
A: The governor.

4.Name some countries that were our enemies during World War II.
A: Germany, Italy and Japan.

5. Who meets in the U.S. Capitol building?
A: Congress.