Draft (military)
U.S. Naturalization Test (2025 Standard) glossary · Civics
Definition
Required military service; Selective Service registration makes a fair draft possible.
Draft (military) in plain English
The draft is when the government orders people into the armed forces rather than waiting for volunteers, something the U.S. has used during major wars. To keep it fair, most men living in the U.S. register with the Selective Service around age 18, creating a ready list so that if a draft is ever needed, people are chosen by random lottery instead of by wealth or connections. Right now no one is actually being drafted, but registering is the law, kind of like keeping everyone's contact info on file just in case.
Also called: military
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