short US citizenship test from Prager U.

I'm not sure how much I like organizations named after those who founded them, and like a lot of critics, I don't see Dennis Prager's "Prager University" as a legitimate university in the original spirit of universitas. It's a largely partisan organization that, admittedly, does good work debunking a host of leftist myths and misconceptions, but it definitely has its own partisan agenda, which is one reason why I rarely talk about it on this blog. (Yes, I've embedded a few Prager U. videos over the years; guilty as charged, but this doesn't mean I love the organization.) 

All of that said, I thought the following quiz, which will likely be taken down soon since it's tied to winning $10,000 (filthy lucre—a capitalist earns his money), was innocent enough and a nice one to steal and place on the blog. Well, "steal" is a relative term: I'm giving Prager U. full credit for every single word of this quiz. It's a short version of the US citizenship test. Take it, see how well you do, and highlight the space between the [brackets] after each question to see both the answers and the explanations. How many did you get right? A "passing" grade for the real citizenship exam turns out to be an easy 6/10. Apparently, the way it goes is this: it's an oral exam (good!), and the questioner has a pool of 100 questions but will ask only ten, randomly selected. Get 6 out of 10 right, prove yourself on (what I assume is an easy) English-proficiency exam, and voilà—you're a step closer to becoming a US citizen.

Question 1:
Who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence?
a. Thomas Jefferson

b. George Washington

c. John Adams

d. Abraham Lincoln

e. Benjamin Franklin

f. Alexander Hamilton

[(a) Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, and it is considered the founding document of the United States of America.]

Question 2:

Who was the first president of the United States?

a. John Adams

b. George Washington

c. Alexander Hamilton

d. Benjamin Franklin

e. James Madison

f. James Monroe

[(b) George Washington served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Often referred to as the "Father of His Country," Washington led Patriot forces to victory in the American Revolutionary War prior to his election to the presidency.]

Question 3

Who was the U.S. president during World War I?

a. Teddy Roosevelt

b. Woodrow Wilson

c. Abraham Lincoln

d. Herbert Hoover

e. Franklin Roosevelt

f. John F. Kennedy

[(b) Woodrow Wilson was the president of the United States during World War I. Although Wilson ran on a platform of keeping America out of the war, he abandoned his position of neutrality after winning re-election in 1916. In April 1917, the United States declared war on Germany and its allies, marking the country's entry into World War I.]

Question 4

When was the U.S. Constitution written?

a. 1776

b. 1787

c. 1796

d. 1804

[(b) The Constitution of the United States was written during the Constitutional Convention, which took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The Constitution outlines the fundamental principles and structure of the federal government, including the separation of powers, the system of checks and balances, and the protection of individual rights.]

Question 5

How many years is a U.S. senator's term?

a. 2

b. 4

c. 6

d. 8

[(c) U.S. senators serve a term of six years. This term length is specified in Article I, Section 3 of the United States Constitution. Every two years, approximately one-third of the Senate seats are up for election. This system ensures that the Senate maintains a degree of continuity and stability while still allowing for regular elections to hold senators accountable to their constituents.]

Question 6

How many amendments are there to the U.S. Constitution?

a. 10

b. 22

c. 27

d. 30

[(c) More than 11,000 amendments to the Constitution of the United States have been proposed, but only 27 have been ratified. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791. The most recent amendment was ratified in 1992.]

Question 7

Which of these states does not border Canada?

[(f) Oregon does not border Canada. There are 13 U.S. states that share a border with Canada: Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.]

Question 8

What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?

a. Louisiana 

b. Texas

c. California

d. Florida

e. Maine

f. Alaska

[(a) The United States purchased the Louisiana Territory for $15 million from France in 1803. The acquisition, commonly referred to as the Louisiana Purchase, nearly doubled the size of the United States. The Louisiana Purchase remains one of the most important events in American history, as it secured American control over the Mississippi River’s crucial trade route, provided fertile land for agriculture, facilitated westward expansion, and laid the groundwork for the United States to become a global power.]

Question 9

Which branch of the government makes federal laws?

a. legislative

b. executive

c. judicial

[(a) The branch of the U.S. government responsible for making federal laws is the Legislative Branch, also known as Congress, which is composed of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Once a bill is passed by both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the president who has the option of signing the bill into law or vetoing it.]

Question 10

Which is not one of the rights or freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution?

a. speech

b. religion

c. assembly

d. press

e. petition the government

f. bear arms

[(f) The First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees several fundamental rights and freedoms. These include freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government. The Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms.]