2008 civics test · Question 52 · Rights and Responsibilities
What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
Any one of these answers is accepted
- the United States
- the flag
What this means
When we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we show loyalty to the United States and to the flag. Either answer is accepted.
The Pledge begins, “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands.” So the flag stands in for the country itself, and the loyalty is to the nation.
Both the 2008 and 2025 tests ask this question with the same wording, so one answer works for either version.
Answer: the United States, or the flag.
Why this is on the test
The Pledge of Allegiance is said in schools and at public events across the country, and the test asks what its words are actually directed toward.
How this question is asked
On the 2008 civics test, the officer asks up to 10 of the 100 questions out loud and you pass by answering 6 correctly. You answer in your own words. There is no multiple choice and nothing to write down for the civics portion.
This question also appears on the 2025 civics test , as question 66.
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