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American Civics Exhibit Opens in Criss Library

The exhibit, American Civics: Could You Pass the Test?, is open through May 12, 2025, on the first floor of Criss Library.  

  • published: 2025/01/28
  • contact: Lori Schwartz - Archives and Special Collections
  • email: lschwartz@unomaha.edu

What is the “rule of law”? What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful? Can you describe any of the four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote? When was the Constitution written? All of these are civics questions on the current U.S. naturalization test. Could YOU pass the test?

American Civics is the latest exhibit from the U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel Archives in Archives and Special Collections. This display asks 45 questions from the civics portion of the U.S. naturalization test and uses items from the Hagel Archives, graphics, and books to answer the questions. The official answers are provided nearby for visitors to check their work.

Of the many things immigrants must do to become a U.S. citizen, they must pass the U.S. naturalization test covering American history and government. Prospective citizens are asked ten random questions from an official list of 100, and they must answer six correctly to pass. Making it more challenging, the test is an oral test, and the answers are NOT multiple choice as you see with practice tests available online.

This exhibit was created using the U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel Archives. Chuck Hagel served as U.S. Senator from 1997 to 2009 and U.S. Secretary of Defense from 2013 to 2015. When he left the U.S. Senate, he donated his records to his alma mater, UNO. The exhibit was curated by Hagel and Technical Services Archivist Lori Schwartz with assistance in document selection and installation by graduate history student Mason Hartwell.

The exhibit is on display in Archives and Special Collections, located on the first floor of Criss Library. Criss Library is open to the public Monday - Thursday 7 A.M.- 10 P.M., Friday 7 A.M.- 5 P.M., Saturday 9 A.M. - 5 P.M., and Sunday noon - 10 P.M.  Archives and Special Collections is open to the public Monday - Friday, 9 A.M. - 5 P.M.

Records Available for Research  

 Hagel’s records are used for research, instruction, exhibits, and general interest. They cover legislative issues and topics of local, national and international prominence that arose from 1997 to 2009, including the Bill Clinton impeachment in 1998-1999, a contested presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore in 2000, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the economic downtown of 2007-2009, and disaster and drought assistance for rural areas.

Visitors may use the Hagel Archives in Archives and Special Collections, Monday-Friday 9am – 5pm, and view selected material online. Given this collection’s size, we recommend users contact archivists in advance for help in selecting material. However, we welcome people to stop in, ask about, and use the records at any time. Information is available at U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel Archives.