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Question 50 of 100 · 2008 civics test

Name one right only for United States citizens.

From the 100-question list, the version for applications filed before October 20, 2025.

Accepted answers

  • vote in a federal election
  • run for federal office

Any one of these is accepted, unless the question asks for more than one.

Why this is the answer

Two rights are reserved to citizens: voting in a federal election and running for federal office. Permanent residents may vote in some local or state elections that do not require citizenship, but federal elections are closed to them. Running for office comes with its own citizenship clocks: a Senate candidate must have been a citizen for at least nine years, a House candidate for at least seven, and a candidate for President must be a natural-born rather than a naturalized citizen. Citizenship also brings duties, among them respecting the law, staying informed, taking part in the democratic process and paying taxes. Memory hook: federal ballots and federal offices are the citizens-only part.