New Citizenship Test Questions Unveiled

[Frodo]

New citizenship test questions unveiled

By SUZANNE GAMBOA
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

WASHINGTON -- Alicia Bowers, a Panamanian immigrant, can easily recall that George Washington was the first U.S. president. She knows the three branches of government are legislative, executive and judicial.

But Bowers, who took a course to study for the U.S. citizenship test she plans to take, was stumped when asked why there are three branches of government?

She also couldn't answer two other draft questions the government wants to try out on 5,000 immigrants who volunteer in 10 cities in an attempt to revise the citizenship test.

The government unveiled to mixed reaction 144 draft test questions Thursday. Officials plan to begin trying them out early next year and begin using a redesigned citizenship test in 2008.

"The people, they have to go to school to study that and take some courses in order to answer and have the right answers," Bowers said after she couldn't answer "What does the Constitution do?" and "Name one important idea found in the Declaration of Independence."

"Even with that, so many people, they barely read or write and can't understand that kind of question," said Bowers of Keene, near Fort Worth, Texas. Some of the questions were read to her over the telephone.

But she said understanding the concepts will help people understand what's happening in the country and why things are done a certain way.

"It's good because the people know how the system here in the United States works," she said.

Federal officials said that is what they hope to achieve.

Emilio Gonzalez, director of Citizenship and Immigration Services, a Homeland Security Department agency, said immigrants should know what they are swearing allegiance to when they take the oath of citizenship.

"You ought to internalize by that time the very values that make this country what it is, the very reason why you are raising your right hand. ... Citizenship is not test taking."

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Dude, the President of the United States doesn't know what the constitution does.

[Gabu]

Dude, the President of the United States doesn't know what the constitution does.

On that note, I think citizenship tests should be given to every natural-born citizen when they're 18, and if they fail, they get deported.

[David S]

Dude, the President of the United States doesn't know what the constitution does.

On that note, I think citizenship tests should be given to every natural-born citizen when they're 18, and if they fail, they get deported.

HMMM. Well that would solve the problems with our big cities since it would basicallly empty them. It would probably empty the welfare rolls too.

Tempting though it might be, it would also be rather unconstitutional so no. But you really had me interested for a while there.

[Gabu]

Dude, the President of the United States doesn't know what the constitution does.

On that note, I think citizenship tests should be given to every natural-born citizen when they're 18, and if they fail, they get deported.

HMMM. Well that would solve the problems with our big cities since it would basicallly empty them. It would probably empty the welfare rolls too.

Tempting though it might be, it would also be rather unconstitutional so no. But you really had me interested for a while there.

Seriously though, am I the only one who finds it kind of weird that countries expect people who haven't lived there for their whole lives to know more about the country than people who have?  I'm not saying that citizenship tests should be abolished either, but still.

[David S]

Dude, the President of the United States doesn't know what the constitution does.

On that note, I think citizenship tests should be given to every natural-born citizen when they're 18, and if they fail, they get deported.

HMMM. Well that would solve the problems with our big cities since it would basicallly empty them. It would probably empty the welfare rolls too.

Tempting though it might be, it would also be rather unconstitutional so no. But you really had me interested for a while there.

Seriously though, am I the only one who finds it kind of weird that countries expect people who haven't lived there for their whole lives to know more about the country than people who have?  I'm not saying that citizenship tests should be abolished either, but still.

You make a good point but as Bill Murray would say; "That's the fact Jack."

Anyway where would you deport them to?

[Gabu]

You make a good point but as Bill Murray would say; "That's the fact Jack."

Anyway where would you deport them to?

I was kidding about the deportation bit, and besides, it's not a requirement to be a citizen to live in a country, anyway.

But it is a requirement for people to vote in a country's elections, whereas natural-born citizens are given a free pass in that respect and are simply assumed to know about the country in which they were born, which I find kind of weird.

[John Dibble]

Question 1: What are the three branches of the federal government?
Question 2: Are you a terrorist?
Question 3: Who was the first president of the United States?
...

[Brandon H]

I am curious what the result would be passing this test would be a requirement for all citizens to be able to vote in the election.

Perhaps we would have Republicrats holding classes. "When you take the test, make sure you put that this is not allowed by the Constitution, but it's ok if we do that once we are in office."

[minionofmidas]

Anyway where would you deport them to?

Michigan.

"Why are there three branches of government"? LOL. You could write a 100-page report on how our current view of three branches of government developed, and still not actually answer the question.
And "what does the constitution do" is so vague as to be ridiculous, unless they're talking of the original document, in which case the answer is sitting on a shelf in the LoC.
"Name one idea" though is easily answerable... not to mention, easily crammable for.

[Gustaf]

People who come from another country has to put more of an effort into it. That's the way it works, migrating isn't easy.

[David S]

Anyway where would you deport them to?

Michigan.

Thanks but we have more than an ample supply of the constitutional illiterate.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

How about checks and balances, and to avoid a concentration of power in one area? That's pretty simple and straightforward.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

You can accurately answer this is a one-liner; It defines our government and protects the rights of the people.

[MaC]

Dude, the President of the United States doesn't know what the constitution does.

On that note, I think citizenship tests should be given to every natural-born citizen when they're 18, and if they fail, they get deported.

not bad...

[Gabu]

That's the way it works, migrating isn't easy.

Of course that's the way it works, but that doesn't really explain why immigrants are held to a higher standard than natural-born citizens for voting purposes, given that natural-born citizens are perfectly capable of being ignorant idiots.

The answer is probably "because then we would have a few dozen eligible voters left over", but no one wants to admit that.

[Gustaf]

That's the way it works, migrating isn't easy.

Of course that's the way it works, but that doesn't really explain why immigrants are held to a higher standard than natural-born citizens for voting purposes, given that natural-born citizens are perfectly capable of being ignorant idiots.

The answer is probably "because then we would have a few dozen eligible voters left over", but no one wants to admit that.

Yes, it does. Immigrants are held to a higher standard than natural-born citizens for voting purposes because that is the way it works.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

"Because that's the way it works" is an even worse excuse for something than "Well, it's always been done this way".

[Gustaf]

"Because that's the way it works" is an even worse excuse for something than "Well, it's always been done this way".

No, it's a shorthand for something that I do believe. It is harder for immigrants to integrate, because they're from another country. Therefore, demanding more of an effort from them is reasonable. The alternative would be testing youths born and bred in the country and then expelling them if they fail. That is obviously not congruent with any reasonable standard.

Everyone is born with a citizenship, and that one they have a birth-right to. If you want to aqcuire another one you have to show that you're serious about it. One may think it unfair that some people are born in decent countries, just like some are born handsome, intelligent or rich. But, that is the way it works. I don't think there is a morally acceptable or practically doable system of making such a system "fair".

[bgwah]

Dude, the President of the United States doesn't know what the constitution does.

On that note, I think citizenship tests should be given to every natural-born citizen when they're 18, and if they fail, they get deported.

HMMM. Well that would solve the problems with our big cities since it would basicallly empty them. It would probably empty the welfare rolls too.

Tempting though it might be, it would also be rather unconstitutional so no. But you really had me interested for a while there.

Thanks for reminding me why I hate you and the vast majority of Libertarians.

[Gabu]

That's the way it works, migrating isn't easy.

Of course that's the way it works, but that doesn't really explain why immigrants are held to a higher standard than natural-born citizens for voting purposes, given that natural-born citizens are perfectly capable of being ignorant idiots.

The answer is probably "because then we would have a few dozen eligible voters left over", but no one wants to admit that.

Yes, it does. Immigrants are held to a higher standard than natural-born citizens for voting purposes because that is the way it works.

How does that explain anything at all?  Tell me exactly why immigrants are expected to know all about a country's government and history before they're allowed to vote and you'll immediately see why I find that it's kind of goofy that the same is not expected of natural-born citizens.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

THe point is to assimilate them into being like everyone else not for "fairness".

[Gustaf]

That's the way it works, migrating isn't easy.

Of course that's the way it works, but that doesn't really explain why immigrants are held to a higher standard than natural-born citizens for voting purposes, given that natural-born citizens are perfectly capable of being ignorant idiots.

The answer is probably "because then we would have a few dozen eligible voters left over", but no one wants to admit that.

Yes, it does. Immigrants are held to a higher standard than natural-born citizens for voting purposes because that is the way it works.

How does that explain anything at all?  Tell me exactly why immigrants are expected to know all about a country's government and history before they're allowed to vote and you'll immediately see why I find that it's kind of goofy that the same is not expected of natural-born citizens.

I gave my explanation above but it seems as if you replied without reading it...the discussion often looks like we're being unfair to foreigners and making it easy for our own countrymen, but that's because people don't have a clear picture of what we're talking about here.

Everyone is born with a citizenship. There are various good reasons (which I don't think we have to go into) why that citizenship cannot be taken from a person. Occassionally, however, we want to accquire another, new citizenship. The country in question may then ask if you're really sure about this switch, test your allegiance, knowledge, etc. So, yes, it is hard to migrate. But sometimes people do it anyway, taking the risks and costs associated with it.

I'm not sure what you propose exactly. Should we abolish such tests and allow everyone and anyone to become a citizen? Or should we force all citizens to take it and expel those who fail?

[minionofmidas]

The point is, we're all citizens of the Earth.

[Gustaf]

The point is, we're all citizens of the Earth.

That is a nice sentiment, but I'm afraid I don't agree with it.