60. What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment?
American Government · System of Government
Accepted answer(s)
- (It states that the) powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or to the people.
USCIS officers ask this on the 2025 Civics Test because understanding "american government" is core to how the U.S. system works day to day. Memorize the exact answer above rather than a paraphrase — officers accept the wording USCIS publishes, and "(It states that the) powers not given to the federal government belong to the states or to the people." is the safest phrasing to say out loud in the interview.
This is question 60 of the 2025 Civics Test. See it on uscis.gov.