Indiana Republican wants high school students to take the same civics test as immigrants
"Who was the first president?"
"When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?"
Think you could easily answer those questions on the test administered to immigrants before they can become naturalized citizens of the U.S.? If you're a high school student in Indiana, you might have to prove it.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Indiana Senate Education Committee Chairman Dennis Kruse, a Republican, is planning to introduce a bill next week that would require high school grads to know at least as much about civics as the nation's newest citizens, Fox News reports.
"I believe that if we're asking someone from a foreign country to know this information, that our own citizens ought to know it," Kruse said.
Kruse wants public school students to answer correctly at least 60 of the 100 civics questions that are on the test for new immigrants seeking to become citizens. Immigrants applying for citizenship are asked 10 of the 100 questions at random, and must get at least six right.
Research has found that about 92 percent of immigrants pass the civics test on their first try, but the Lafayette Journal and Courier reports less than 5 percent of high school students in Arizona and Oklahoma passed the test.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Legislation similar to Kruse's is being considered in 15 other states.
-
A whole new world: redrawing the Mercator mapUnder the Radar African Union joins calls to ditch 'colonial distortion' and portray countries at more accurate size
-
'Enforcement of rulings remains spotty at best'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Book reviews: 'King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution' and 'Gwyneth: The Biography'Feature How the Iranian Revolution began and Gwyneth Paltrow's life in the spotlight
-
Trump taps Missouri AG to help lead FBISpeed Read Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has been appointed FBI co-deputy director, alongside Dan Bongino
-
Trump warms to Kyiv security deal in summitSpeed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump's support for guaranteeing his country's security 'a major step forward'
-
DC protests as Trump deployment ramps upSpeed Read Trump's 'crusade against crime' is targeting immigrants and the homeless
-
Ukraine, European leaders to meet Trump after Putin talksSpeed Read Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week
-
Border agents crash Newsom redistricting kickoffSpeed Read Armed federal Border Patrol agents amassed outside the venue where the California governor and other Democratic leaders were gathered
-
Man charged for hoagie attack as DC fights takeoverSpeed Read The Trump administration filed felony charges against a man who threw a Subway sandwich at a federal agent
-
Trump BLS nominee floats ending key jobs reportSpeed Read On Fox News, E.J. Antoni suggested scrapping the closely watched monthly jobs report
-
Trump picks conservative BLS critic to lead BLSspeed read He has nominated the Heritage Foundation's E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics
