Civics Test Question 4: The U.S. Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” What does “We the People” mean?

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

Translation

The U.S. Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” What does “We the People” mean?美国宪法开头是 “We the People”（我们人民）。“我们人民” 是什么意思？La Constitución de EE. UU. empieza con las palabras "We the People" (Nosotros el Pueblo). ¿Qué significa "Nosotros el Pueblo"?

Official answers

Any one of these is correct.

Self-government自治Autogobierno
Popular sovereignty人民主权Soberanía popular
Consent of the governed被统治者的同意Consentimiento de los gobernados
People should govern themselves人民应当自己治理自己El pueblo debe gobernarse a sí mismo
(Example of) social contract社会契约（的体现）(Ejemplo de) contrato social

Explanation

“We the People” at the start of the Constitution means the government’s power comes from the people, who agree to be governed and govern themselves. That is what self-government, popular sovereignty and consent of the governed all describe.

Memory tip

💡 We the People → the people rule. “Self-government” is the easiest answer to remember.

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