(Illustration by Natalie Vineberg/The Washington Post; Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post; Mariam Zuhaib/AP; iStock)

Can you pass this quiz on American history and government?

The Fourth of July mostly brings thoughts of cookouts, baseball and fireworks. But of course it’s also a day to think about America and its founding — never more so than this year, when the holiday carries the most excellent title: our semiquincentennial.

That’s the 250th anniversary, for those who need a refresher on their Latin.

So, how much do you actually know about this country’s founding, government and history?

We drew questions from 2025 study materials from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for our quiz.

Changes that took effect last fall mean aspiring American citizens must answer 12 of 20 questions correctly. Give it a try and see how you stack up against other readers.

We asked 25 Americans how they feel about their country. Here’s what they said.  (The Washington Post) On the National Mall, in the heart of Washington, D.C., Americans expressed their pride, concern and hopes for the country as it turns 250 years old. By Joe Heim and Mariana Trujillo Valdes Read more

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What will America look like 50 years from now?  (Ibrahim Rayintakath for The Post) Moon bases, living to 100 and (finally!) flying cars. What 2076 and our future will look like may be stranger than we expect. By Joel Achenbach Read more

Review Tim Carman, Warren Rojas and Jade Tran Every food stall is a mystery at the Great American State Fair  (Joe Lamberti for The Post) We set out to find the best, worst and most bizarre bites at a state fair that is unlike any other. Confusing signage didn't help. Read more

Fireworks on Mall likely to cause hazardous air pollution, documents show  (Alex Brandon/AP/Alex Brandon) Internal modeling shows the July 4th fireworks display will cause hazardous pollution around the Mall and “very unhealthy conditions across central D.C.” By Jake Spring Read more

Four Black women. Nine degrees. Not one steady paycheck.  (Brad Vest for The Post) The president promised to save “Black jobs,” but his policies have resulted in fresh pain for the Black middle class as the employment gap widens. By Robert Samuels and Lydia Sidhom Read more

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4 surprising (and evidence-based) health benefits of drinking coffee  (iStock) Hundreds of studies have shown that a cup of joe — or more! — every day may protect against some major diseases. By Anahad O’Connor Read more

Column  Trisha Pasricha, MD What a gastroenterologist wants you to know about bidets  (iStock) I’ve received so many questions from people who are bidet-curious but not yet bidet-ready. Read more

They built the world’s most powerful AI. They’re facing a mystery they can’t explain.  (Tilde Oyster/The Washington Post; iStock) Anthropic, Google and Meta have hired computer scientists, neuroscientists and philosophers to study what some in the industry think may become a moral crisis. By Nitasha Tiku Read more

Trump is using a $500M no-bid contract to build his White House ballroom  (Aaron Schwartz/Reuters) The White House routed a $500 million no-bid contract through a White House office that typically handles repairs and furnishings and is exempt from competitive bidding requirements. By Sarah Blaskey and Jonathan O'Connell Read more