More than 400,000 immigrants take the test to become U.S. citizens each year, and critics are split on whether the test is too difficult or too easy. Solomon Skolnick, author of The Great American Citizenship Quiz, talks about whether the test asks the right questions — or even gives the right answers — about American citizenship.
MADELEINE BRAND, host: I'm Madeleine Brand and this is DAY TO DAY.</s>MADELEINE BRAND, host: At special July Fourth ceremonies this week, more than 15,000 people will      raise their right hands and take the oath of allegiance to become US      citizens. They'll do that after they pass a citizenship test.  We asked      Solomon Skolnick, he's the author of "The Great American Citizenship      Quiz," what kind of questions does one have to answer to become an      American.?</s>Mr. SOLOMON SKOLNICK (Author, "The Great American Citizenship Quiz"): What is the Fourth of July?  What is the date of Independence Day?  When      was the Declaration of Independence adopted?  All those questions around      the same issue.  Who was Abraham Lincoln?  And there are six different      answers you could give and be correct.  What do the stars on the flag      mean?  How many stars are there?  How many stars and stripes are there?      What do the stripes mean?  What's the 49th state in the Union?  What's      the 50th state in the Union?  How many states are in the Union?  I mean,      things that are all very, very straightforward on the surface and the      answers that the government is looking for, at least in terms of studying      for the exam, are the straightforward responses.</s>Unidentified Singer: On the boats and on the planes, they're coming to      America...</s>MADELEINE BRAND, host: The test varies by region, but it typically has a hundred      questions. Solomon Skolnick took it and he got a hundred out of a      hundred, but he's quick to note that this isn't a function of how smart      he is.</s>Mr. SOLOMON SKOLNICK (Author, "The Great American Citizenship Quiz"): It is all about rote studying.  I mean, if you simply want      to get the correct answer to the individual questions, they're not trying      to trick you and get you to say Abraham Lincoln was the first president      of the United States.  It's slightly more difficult to pass your driver's      test.</s>Unidentified Singer: ...they're coming to America...</s>MADELEINE BRAND, host: Easier to pass than a driver's test?  Well, even an animated      character could pass it.  Here's a clip from "The Simpsons" where the      Indian character Apu takes the test.</s>Mr. HARRY SHEARER: (As Exam Procter) All right, here's your last      question: What was the cause of the Civil War?</s>Mr. HANK AZARIA: (As Apu) Actually, there were numerous causes.  Aside      from the obvious schism between abolitionists and anti-abolitionists,      economic factors, both domestic and international, played a      significant...</s>Mr. HARRY SHEARER: (As Exam Procter) Hey, Mate.</s>Mr. HANK AZARIA: (As Apu) Yeah.</s>Mr. HARRY SHEARER: (As Exam Procter) Just say slavery.</s>Mr. HANK AZARIA: (As Apu) Slavery it is, sir.  Yes, I am a citizen!</s>Mr. SOLOMON SKOLNICK (Author, "The Great American Citizenship Quiz"): The answers are not wrong.  There are lots of shades of      gray and a lot of them don't mean a whole lot taken in their simple      response.</s>MADELEINE BRAND, host: Skolnick argues that study guides and the test itself often      oversimplify complicated issues in American history and so answering the      question correctly can mean giving an incomplete response.</s>Mr. SOLOMON SKOLNICK (Author, "The Great American Citizenship Quiz"): What is the Emancipation Proclamation?  Well, the answer      given on the Web site is `the document that freed the slaves.'  Did it      free slaves in the South?  No, it didn't have any effect on those people      because they were no longer thinking they were part of the government.      It did, however, let slavery remain in the loyal border states.  So from      that point of view, you could see it as gray.  Nothing is out-and-out      wrong.</s>MADELEINE BRAND, host: Just like some of the answers on the test, Skolnick says      statistics about how people do on it are also incomplete.</s>Mr. SOLOMON SKOLNICK (Author, "The Great American Citizenship Quiz"): The only success and failure rate that I've been able to      find is one provided by the government itself that says within those      regions that will give you the information, that 5 to 10 percent of the      people fail.  It's a self-fulfilling prophecy in several directions.  You      don't go to take the test unless you think you can pass it, unless you're      about to be sent out of the country.  And since only those regions that      want to report have reported, it's yet a smaller sample.</s>MADELEINE BRAND, host: Despite the reported high rate of success, pro-naturalization      groups say the current test is too difficult.  Well, whether the      questions are easy or difficult to prospective citizens is debatable, but      Solomon Skolnick thinks there's one question the US government should be      asking itself.</s>Mr. SOLOMON SKOLNICK (Author, "The Great American Citizenship Quiz"): How do you get a sense of a person's intentions in      becoming a citizen and what kind of citizen will they be when you can      really study the answers and they encourage you to do so?</s>MADELEINE BRAND, host: But designing an exam that can measure someone's motives for      becoming a citizen could prove impossible.  Until then, the government is      satisfied that new citizens learn George Washington is the first      president and Hawaii the 50th state.</s>MADELEINE BRAND, host: DAY TO DAY returns in a moment.  I'm Madeleine Brand.