Global Policy Forum

By Ed Pilkington

Do you know the minimum age required for any president of the United States? Can you name America's tallest mountain? Do you know what exactly are "inalienable rights"? If you can't, bang go your hopes of living the American dream. You will never become a citizen of the United States.

At least, you are going to find it harder to do so, as of yesterday. Those three brainteasers appear on a new list of 144 sample questions put out by the federal government that will form the basis of a revised test for anyone seeking to turn themselves into naturalised Americans.

It is the culmination of a five-year struggle to update the citizenship test, which was laid down in 1986 and has remained virtually untouched since. That exam contains 96 questions, mostly of a more amenable nature, such as: What are the colours of our flag? Who was Martin Luther King Jr? When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

The new list has provoked a heated debate about the nature of citizenship exams and what they are seeking to achieve. Immigrants' rights groups fear that by adding a raft of about 80 new questions, including sections on geography (What is the longest river in the US?), more probing questions on key historical periods (Name one war fought by the US in the 1800s) and highly conceptual queries (What is the rule of law?), will merely erect a new barrier to participation.

Daunting

About 600,000 people become naturalised US citizens every year, but the worry is that many could be put off by the new questions. "Our main concern is that the test does not became even more daunting an obstacle to citizenship than it is right now," said Fred Tsao, of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Mr Tsao pointed out that in addition to the stress of having to pass the exam, there is the financial hurdle: naturalisation currently costs $400 (£203) to complete, and may rise to $800 under current proposals.

His group and other immigration organisations like it have taken to calling the citizenship test "the second wall". The first wall is the physical structure being erected along 700 miles of Mexican border, to keep out illegal immigrants. This second wall, the groups contend, is a barrier to full participation by legal immigrants who have lived and worked in America for at least five years.

But the phrase is disputed by the US citizenship and immigration service. "I absolutely hate that term," said Chris Ratigan, an official within the service. "We are trying to build a wider bridge to citizenship. When someone decides to become an American citizen - and what a wonderful decision that is - we want them to feel that after they raise their hand and take the oath to America they are fully ready to participate in this country."

Under the old test, Ms Ratigan said, there was great inequality about how it was administered. One state might ask only easy questions such as "Who is the president of the US today?", while other states would set the harder ones such as "Who said 'Give me liberty or give me death?'" (Answer: Patrick Henry in 1775.) The pass rate - running at present at 84% on the first sitting of the test and 95% in second and third sittings - would show large local fluctuations as a result. Under the new system, questions will be weighted according to their difficulty, so that no matter where in the country you are taking the test, your chances of success would be equal.

So how will the new test go down? It will be piloted next year on 5,000 volunteers going for citizenship in 10 states across the country, to reflect the range of likely applicants. After feedback, the list will be whittled down to the best 100. Applicants will have to answer correctly six out of 10 randomly selected questions.

On the streets of New York, the pilot questions received a varied response. Josh, a businessman, found several questions easy. He knew the president has to be over 35, that the tallest mountain is Mt McKinley, that the Mississippi is the longest river and that the early 19th century war was the Spanish-American war of 1812. However, he was stumped by the question: "What group of essays supported passage of the US constitution?" (Answer: the Federalist papers.)

Edwin, a security guard from Puerto Rico, was stumped by several questions. Asked "What does 'We the people' mean in the Constitution?", he replied: "You got me man. We never learnt that stuff in school." If Edwin is remotely representative of the nation - and he was just one man plucked from a New York Street - then the immigration service appears to be pitching its exam beyond its reach. However, he did get one question almost right. Asked "Who is the speaker-elect of the House of Representatives?", he said: "I know somebody was elected from California. Can't remember her name, but I know Bush ain't too happy about it."

The questions and help for those who need it

The questions

(1) What does "we the people" mean in the constitution?

(2) Name one example of checks and balances

(3) How old must a president be?

(4) What territory did the US buy from France in 1803?

(5) Name one thing only the federal government can do

(6) What is the current minimum wage in the US?

(7) Who is the attorney general now?

(8) Who governs the people in a self-governed country?

(9) What is the "rule of law"?

(10) What are "inalienable rights"

(11) Name one responsibility that is only for United States citizens

(12) When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?

(13) Name one thing Benjamin Franklin, right, is famous for

(14) Name one famous battle from the revolutionary war

(15) Name one of the writers of the Federalist papers

(16) What group of essays supported the passage of the US constitution?

(17) What did Susan B Anthony, right, do?

(18) Who was president during the first world war?

(19) Where is the Grand Canyon?

(20) What is the tallest mountain in the United States?

Full list of question and answers on guardian.co.uk

Acceptable answers

(1) The power of government comes from the people

(2) The president vetoes a bill; Congress can confirm or not confirm a president's nomination; Congress approves the president's budget; the supreme court strikes down a law

(3) 35

(4) West of the Mississippi; the western US; the Louisiana territory

(5) Print money; declare war; create an army; make treaties

(6) $5.15

(7) Alberto Gonzales

(8) The people govern themselves; the government elected by the people

(9) Everyone must obey the law; leaders must obey the law; government must obey the law

(10) Individual rights that people are born with

(11) Vote; serve on a jury

(12) By April 15 of every year; by April 15; April 15

(13) US diplomat; oldest member of the Constitutional Convention; first Postmaster General of the United States; writer of Poor Richard's Almanac

(14) Lexington and Concord; Trenton; Princeton; Saratoga; Cowpens; Yorktown; Bunker Hill

(15) James Madison; Alexander Hamilton; John Jay

(16) The Federalist Papers

(17) She fought for women's rights

(18) Woodrow Wilson

(19) Arizona; The Southwest; along/on the Colorado River

(20) Mt McKinley or Denali