Civics question 4 of 128
The U.S. Constitution starts with the words "We the People." What does "We the People" mean?
5 accepted answers
- Self-government
- Popular sovereignty
- Consent of the governed
- People should govern themselves
- (Example of) social contract
You only need to give one of these. The officer accepts any of them.
Source: official USCIS question list for the 2025 version of the civics test. This site is independent and not affiliated with USCIS.
Background
We the People means self-government, the idea that authority comes from the people themselves rather than from a king or a ruling class. The test also accepts popular sovereignty, consent of the governed, and social contract, which are different names for the same principle. The phrase mattered in 1787 because the earlier Articles of Confederation had been an agreement among states, while the new document was written in the name of the people directly. That change is what gave the federal government authority over citizens rather than only over state governments. The three words are set in unusually large script at the top of the original parchment, and they carry the argument of the whole document: government exists because people agree to it and can be held to account by them.
This background section is written by US Citizenship Test Practice to explain the civics fact. It is not part of the USCIS question list, and the official answer above is the one to give at the interview.
Where this question sits
It is part of Principles of American Government, inside the American Government section of the test.
Related questions
- 6. What does the Bill of Rights protect?
- 7. How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have?
- 8. Why is the Declaration of Independence important?
- 9. What founding document said the American colonies were free from Britain?
- 10. Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
- 11. The words "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" are in what founding document?