Sunday, June 22, 2008

Humankind: A Union of Citizens

The USCIS revised the US History & Government questions (new USCIS 100) for many reasons. The two most important reasons for the revision are: 1) To make the test more relevant; 2) To inform new citizens of their rights and responsibilities (USCIS 100:48-57).

One of the most important questions of the new USCIS 100:

55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?

The USCIS lists 10 possibilities (vote; join a political party; help with a campaign, etc), but there are as many ways to participate in the American democracy as there are Americans.

HumanKind, a radio show on National Public Radio (NPR), recently aired two 30-minute programs entitled, "A Union of Citizens." The show begins with the Oath of Allegiance and gives many example of how Americans participate in their local community. You can listen to a free 6 minute sample of the show; or you can pay and download the entire hour.

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