Although created by the Ohio American Legion, the Americanism and Government Test program is a joint venture and partnership with the Ohio American Legion Auxiliary, which is a cosponsor of the program.
The Americanism and Government Test program is open to students in grades 10, 11, and 12. Students in grade 9 may take the test for practice only.
The Americanism and Government Test is a fifty (50) question test comprised of True/False, multiple choice, and fill-in the blank.
A three hundred (300) word essay is also part of the Americanism and Government Test and every student taking the test writes on the same essay topic.
The essay is utilized in the various judging levels of this program as a Tie-breaker.
The essay topic is selected/written each year by members of the Department Americanism Committee and Department Americanism Director.
A feature of the Americanism and Government Test is that the students themselves do not advance in the competition, the student’s test paper does.
The Americanism and Government test is NOT designed to have one student compete against another. It is designed to test an individual student’s knowledge of the following:
The United States Flag
The Declaration of Independence
The United States Constitution
State government in Ohio
County government in Ohio
City government in Ohio
Township government in Ohio
Village government in Ohio
School District government in Ohio
The 50 questions of the Americanism and Government Test are written in such a manner to be current and topical to events, studies, and information being presented in Ohio high schools and events happening in the state of Ohio and the nation.
On average, over 65,000 students participate in the Test program annually.
Through a number of judging levels in the state of Ohio to select Post, County, and District winners, the initial field of 65,000 students is narrowed to 84 district winners, whose winning test papers are submitted to a State Judging Committee for this program.
From the field of 84 District winners, the State Judging Committee selects 18 winners in the following categories:
- Grade 12 (Seniors): Six (6) State winners/three (3) men and three (3) women
- Grade 11 (Juniors): Six (6) State winners/three (3) men and three (3) women
- Grade 10 (Sophomores): Six (6) State winners/three (3) men and three (3) women
The State Award from the Ohio American Legion for the 18 State winners is a five (5) day, all expenses paid trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. under the direction of the Department Americanism Director, accompanied by representatives of the Ohio American Legion and Ohio American Legion Auxiliary.
A highlight of the trip is a Wreath Laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.
The Ohio American Legion and Ohio American Legion Auxiliary have had the honor of laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns every year since 1936.
An objective of the Ohio American Legion through the Americanism and Government test program is that if by taking the test a young person is inspired to learn more about government, the United States, and to appreciate the freedoms enjoyed by the nation’s citizens, the effort put forth by the Ohio American Legion and the Ohio American Legion Auxiliary is worth the expense.
The Americanism and Government Test program is unique to the national America Legion organization as only two other states, Indiana and Wisconsin, have versions of the program, which both adopted/adapted from the Ohio American Legion, but neither program is the size or scope of the Ohio program.
