Rights and responsibilities

Four amendments widened the vote, and the last of them, the 26th, lowered the voting age to 18 in 1971.

Questions 63 to 72 on the 2025 list are about rights and responsibilities: who may vote, which rights everyone in the country has, what citizens promise when they naturalize, and how people take part in public life. Several answers point to specific amendments, so it helps to know a handful of amendment numbers.

Voting amendments

Question 63 says four amendments are about who can vote and asks you to describe one. In order, they are the 15th Amendment (1870), so a male citizen of any race can vote; the 19th (1920), so women and men can vote; the 24th (1964), which ended poll taxes in federal elections; and the 26th (1971), which set the voting age at 18. You only need to describe one, in words such as Citizens eighteen and older can vote.

Rights for everyone, rights for citizens

Question 65 asks for three rights of everyone living in the United States: freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom to petition the government, freedom of religion and the right to bear arms. Most of these come from the First Amendment; the right to bear arms is in the Second. Some things are reserved for citizens: voting in federal elections, running for federal office and serving on a jury (question 64).

Loyalty and the oath

When you say the Pledge of Allegiance you show loyalty to the United States and to the flag (question 66, starred). New citizens take the Oath of Allegiance at the naturalization ceremony, and question 67 asks for two of its promises: give up loyalty to other countries, defend the Constitution, obey the laws of the United States, serve in the military if needed, serve the nation if needed, and be loyal to the United States. The full text of the oath is in the last unit.

Question 68 lists three ways to become a citizen: birth in the United States under the conditions set by the 14th Amendment, naturalization, and deriving citizenship under conditions set by Congress, for example as the child of a citizen parent.

Taking part

Questions 69 and 70 ask how people take part and serve: vote, run for office, join a political party or a civic or community group, help with a campaign, contact elected officials, write to a newspaper, pay taxes, obey the law, serve in the military or work for local, state or federal government. Federal taxes are required by law and by the 16th Amendment, ratified in 1913, and they fund the federal government (question 71). Men aged 18 through 25 must register with the Selective Service; it is required by law and makes the draft fair if one is ever needed (question 72).

2008 version: Rights and Responsibilities, questions 48 to 57