The US Government is disclosing draft questions it plans to try out on immigrants applying to become US citizens in hopes of making the citizenship test more meaningful.

Citizenship and Immigration Services, a division of the Homeland Security Department, plans to post 144 questions it will be testing in 10 cities on its Web site.

Applicants taking the test already need to know that President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, issued during the US Civil War more than 140 years ago, freed black slaves in the rebellious Southern states.

But in a couple of years, that knowledge will not be enough. A prospective citizen will need a deeper understanding of the Civil War and have to name one of the problems that led to it.

Citizenship and Immigration Services has been working to redesign the test for several years.

Answers to the question about causes of the Civil War could include slavery, economics or states' rights, said Chris Rhatigan, an agency spokeswoman.

The redesign is aimed at making sure applicants know the meaning behind some of America's fundamental institutions, Rhatigan said.

"There's not one, rote... question and answer," she said.

The questions will go into use in 10 pilot cities before advocacy groups get a chance to point out problems or objections they may have.

After the questions are tested, the agency plans to spend a year examining results and reviewing the questions with groups with expertise and interest in the tests.

Immigration officials want to narrow the number of questions to 100 and launch the redesigned test in early 2008.

Another possible question would delve into the United States' governmental system of checks and balances.

Currently, immigrants are asked "What are the three branches or parts of government?" The answer: executive, legislative and judicial.

But a draft test question asks: "Why do we have three branches of government?"

An acceptable answer might be, so that no branch is too powerful, Rhatigan said. Or another acceptable response may be: To separate the power of government, she said.

Immigration advocates have said they are wary of the questions.

A variety of groups with varying ideologies about immigration have been working with Citizenship and Immigration Services, meeting with officers monthly, to advise the agency on drafting the questions.

Immigration advocates want to ensure the new test does not make becoming a citizen more difficult, while groups that want to control immigration want to ensure newcomers are not simply memorizing information.

Fred Tsao, policy director for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said the question about three branches of government is vague.

"The answer could be anything from because the Constitution says so to a long lecture on 18th century French political philosophy," said Tsao.

Source: China Daily