Civics question 28 of 128
Why does each state have two senators?
2 accepted answers
- Equal representation (for small states)
- The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)
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
Each state has two senators to give the states equal representation, an arrangement settled by the Great Compromise, also called the Connecticut Compromise. Either answer is accepted. At the 1787 convention the large states backed a plan tying representation to population, while the small states wanted every state counted the same, and the dispute nearly ended the meeting. Delegates from Connecticut proposed splitting the difference across two chambers: population would govern the House, equality would govern the Senate, and both would have to agree before anything could pass. That bargain is why Wyoming and California carry identical weight in one chamber and very different weight in the other, and why the Senate remains the more state-centered body.
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 System of Government, inside the American Government section of the test.