What is an amendment?

Explanation

An amendment is a change or addition to the Constitution. It lets the document evolve without being rewritten.

Why it matters

Amendments are how the Constitution has adapted for over two centuries - from abolishing slavery to expanding the vote.

The 65/20 special consideration

Question 4 is not in the 65/20 set. An applicant who is 65 or older and has been a lawful permanent resident for 20 years or more studies only the 20 marked questions, so this one would not be asked. Everyone else studies all 100.

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Answers that get mixed up with this one

These are the wrong options the practice test puts beside this question. Each one is the correct answer to a different question, which is what makes it tempting.

• speechanswers Question 6: What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
• Congressanswers Question 13: Name one branch or part of the government.
• four hundred thirty-five (435)answers Question 21: The House of Representatives has how many voting members?

More Principles of American Democracy questions

Questions the officer draws from the same part of the test. Studying them together is what keeps their answers apart.

• Question 1: What is the supreme law of the land?the Constitution
• Question 2: What does the Constitution do?sets up the government · defines the government · protects basic rights of Americans
• Question 3: The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?We the People
• Question 5: What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?the Bill of Rights
• Question 6: What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?speech · religion · assembly · press · petition the government