Civics Test Question 1: What is the form of government of the United States?

A question from the 2025 civics test, with the answers USCIS publishes and our explanation.

Translation

What is the form of government of the United States?美国的政府形式是什么？¿Cuál es la forma de gobierno de los Estados Unidos?

Official answers

Any one of these is correct.

Republic共和制República
Constitution-based federal republic以宪法为基础的联邦共和制República federal basada en la Constitución
Representative democracy代议制民主Democracia representativa

Explanation

The United States is a republic: power belongs to the people, who elect representatives to make decisions for them, and there is no king. Because the Constitution sets up the government, it is also called a constitution-based federal republic, and because citizens govern through elected representatives, it is a representative democracy.

Memory tip

💡 The shortest answer is one word: Republic.

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