Civics question 66 of 128 65/20 set
What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
2 accepted answers
- The United States
- The flag
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
The Pledge of Allegiance shows loyalty to the United States and to the flag, and either answer is accepted. Its opening words say both at once, pledging allegiance to the flag and to the republic for which it stands. The pledge was written in 1892 for a magazine promoting a school celebration of the four hundredth anniversary of Columbus's voyage, and it has been amended twice, gaining the words under God in 1954. Reciting it is voluntary. The Supreme Court held in 1943 that public schools cannot compel a student to salute the flag or say the pledge, a First Amendment ruling that arrived during wartime and reversed a decision from only three years earlier. Standing respectfully while others recite is the usual practice for those who decline.
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 Rights and Responsibilities, inside the American Government section of the test. It is also one of the 20 questions in the 65/20 set, so it is worth knowing well.
Related questions
- 67. Name two promises that new citizens make in the Oath of Allegiance.
- 68. How can people become United States citizens?
- 69. What are two examples of civic participation in the United States?
- 70. What is one way Americans can serve their country?
- 71. Why is it important to pay federal taxes?
- 72. It is important for all men age 18 through 25 to register for the Selective Service. Name one reason why.