Citizenship Quiz: American Government

An American Flag waves in the wind at sunset on May 1, 2025 in San Diego, California.
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Title: Citizenship Quiz: American Government

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Brian Lehrer: It's The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC on day one of this membership drive. Good morning again, everyone. Again this drive, we're doing a 10-question quiz each day at around this time, sometime during the eleven o'clock hour. Get two in a row right, and you'll win a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap, or, for this drive, the new "I Stand with WNYC" t-shirt. You can call in right now at 212-433-WNYC to give it a shot. 212-433-9692. We do this to break it up and have a little fun during the membership drive while we're doing our normal serious things, like having Senator Chris Murphy on.

We were glad he was able to come on with us to begin the first hour of the drive today, the first hour of today's show, and Liz Kim, who comes on every Wednesday to talk about mayoral politics, and with Brigid Bergin today. After that, hopefully, good reasons for you to become a member of WNYC, all that access we give you to local electeds like Senator Murphy and the amazing reporting that our local news team, like Liz and Brigid, and the others do. We try to break it up with a little fun with a quiz, and some prizes each day.

For the first three quizzes today through Friday, we're drawing our questions from the United States government citizenship test, questions from the actual published list of questions that people are given to study from before they take the naturalization test. Now, I'll say before we jump in and take our first caller, some of these will be really easy for many of you, some perhaps surprisingly hard, but most of these at the beginning on day one here are pretty basic. I think we'll give away some hats and shirts today, but you never know. If you think you can pass the citizenship test, native born or not, take your best shot at 212-433-WNYC, 433-9692. Anna in Linden is first up. Hi, Anna, ready to play?

Anna: Yes, I'm ready to play. I'm so happy to talk to you.

Brian Lehrer: So happy to have you on. I'm just going to go in the order that I have them. Question 1, what is the supreme law of the land in the United States? What is that called?

Anna: I don't remember hearing they've been called the supreme law of the land.

Brian Lehrer: Well, that's not what it's called. That's how we're describing it, and it's called something. Some of these may be counterintuitively tricky after all. Want to take a shot?

Ann: Yes. Repeat the question one more time.

Brian Lehrer: What is the supreme law of the land? That's the question, the way they laid it out in the Citizenship Test Study Guide.

Anna: Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

Brian Lehrer: Well, those are certainly good tenants, but sorry, Anna. The answer is the Constitution. We're going to go next to Alan in Brooklyn. Alan, you're on WNYC. Ready to play? Alan: Yes, I am. Thanks very much.

Brian Lehrer: Okay, so question 2 is, what does the Constitution do? They list three particular things. I can give some leeway here if you're in that ballpark, but what does the Constitution do, as basically as you could say? Or any of the three will do according to the test's rules.

Alan: Ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, and some statements about the administration of law and justice.

Brian Lehrer: We'll take that as close enough. Sets up the government, defines the government, and protects basic rights of Americans is the way they give the answer. Some of what you said certainly fits into that category. Okay, question 2, for hat or a shirt. Question 3, I should say. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are those first three words in the Constitution? The idea of self-government is reflected.

Alan: We the people.

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Brian Lehrer: We the people is correct. All right, Alan, do you want an "I stand with WNYC" t-shirt or Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap?

Alan: Well, I think the t-shirt would be something that I'd get a lot of use out of, taking my grandson out to the park, and I'd like to be visible in his play lot on Riverside Park. That's the best bet.

Brian Lehrer: Awesome. Hang on. We'll get your address off the air. All right, Francie in Flushing, ready to play?

Francie: Yes.

Brian Lehrer: What are two rights cited in the Declaration of Independence? Two rights. There are three that are generally mentioned in this category. Name any two in the Declaration of Independence. I'll give you a clue if you need--

Francie: Okay. Freedom of religion, freedom of assembly.

Brian Lehrer: Those are not in the Declaration of Independence. Those are in the Constitution. I will give you one clue.

Francie: Okay, give the clue.

Brian Lehrer: Yes, the clue is an earlier caller mentioned these three things in trying to answer another question.

Francie: Oh yes, let's see. These are rights declared in the--

Brian Lehrer: In the Declaration of Independence. Not in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, but the Declaration of Independence asserted certain rights. Oh, I'm going to have to go for time.

Francie: Thank you.

Brian Lehrer: Sorry, Francie. The answer is life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Sure enough, these are turning out to be, almost counterintuitively, a little difficult. Mary Lou in Hopewell, New Jersey. You're on WNYC. Hi, Mary Lou.

Mary Lou: Good morning.

Brian Lehrer: All right, Question 5 in this 10-question quiz, the House of Representatives has how many voting members?

Mary Lou: Oh, shoot.

Brian Lehrer: Need the exact number.

Mary Lou: The House. The Senate has 100. How many does the House have? Shoot, I might not get this. 500-- No. Oh, crap. 430?

Brian Lehrer: Oh, it's so close, but I can't give it to you. It's 435. Mary Lou, thank you. Edson in Manhattan, ready to play?

Edson: Yes, I am. Thank you for taking my call, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: You bet. Question 6, if both the president and the vice president can no longer serve, who becomes President?

Edson: The Speaker of the House. That would be Mike Johnson.

Brian Lehrer: At the moment, it's Mike Johnson. Yes, the answer is the Speaker of the House. Question 7 from the Citizenship Test Study Guide. What are two cabinet-level positions? There are many. Name any two that are on the list that they provide.

Edson: Secretary of Defense. Secretary of Education.

Brian Lehrer: Certainly.

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Edson: If I may?

Brian Lehrer: Yes, you get a choice between Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap and "I Stand With WNYC" t-shirt. What do you want?

Edson: Oh, I want to advertise the Brian Lehrer and WNYC on my t-shirt.

Brian Lehrer: Edson, thank you very much. Hang on. We're going to take your mailing address off the air. All right, we're going to go out to the island next with Leslie in Farmingdale. Hi, Leslie, ready to play?

Leslie: Yes, I am, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: All right. Question 8, how many justices-- I think you're in the easy lane here by the luck of the draw, I hope I didn't speak too soon. How many justices are on the United States Supreme Court?

Leslie: Nine.

Brian Lehrer: Question 9, who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?

Leslie: Oh, let's see. Roberts.[music]

Brian Lehrer: Is correct. You were going to back off that answer, so we made sure to sound the fanfare before you had it.

Leslie: Oh, I'm so excited. Thank you.

Brian Lehrer: Leslie, do you want an "I stand with WNYC" t-shirt or a Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap?

Leslie: I would love the t-shirt, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: The t-shirt's coming your way. Hang on, we're going to take your mailing address. We only have one question left out of the 10 for today. What we do in this circumstance is you only have to get the one question right in order to win a prize. Dawn in Brooklyn, you're going to get a chance to do that. Ready to play?

Dawn: All right. I hope so.

Brian Lehrer: This is not such an easy one. It says, "Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states." They list five. I can be a little bit flexible as to what you actually say that qualifies if it seems right. What is one power of the states? One power that the Constitution leaves to the states rather than the federal government?

Dawn: Taxation.

Brian Lehrer: Well, not all taxation.

Dawn: Education.

Brian Lehrer: Education is right.

La Fontaine: I'm La Fontaine.

Dawn: Some taxation, right?

Brian Lehrer: Yes, and some taxation, of course, but it doesn't leave it expressly to the states. Yes, the answers were providing schooling and education. Providing protection, that is police is a local function. Don't tell ice. Provide safety, like fire departments. Give a driver's license is a specific one they mentioned, and approve zoning and land use. I think that question is a little creaky on the citizenship test since the federal government does also provide protection and safety in various ways. You got education, right? Do you want an "I Stand with WNYC" t-shirt or Brian Lehrer Show baseball cap?

Dawn: T-shirt, please.

Brian Lehrer: Dawn, hang on. We're going to take your mailing address off the air. That's our 10-question quiz for today. We'll do another one tomorrow with 10 more questions from the Naturalization Test Study Guide. More to come today. Our next segment is going to be one of 100 Years of 100 Things segment. This is going to be really fun for a lot of you, I think. It's going to be 100 years of the New York City skyline. Coming up, Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Stay with us.

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