The Meaning of Citizenship

Chapter Three

What It Means to Be a Citizen

Section 1

Who is a Citizen?

Anyone born in the United States or in one of its territories (even if the parents aren’t citizens)

At least one of the parents was a citizen at the time of birth (no matter where the baby was born)

A person who has gone through the process of becoming a citizenAny child under 18 whose parent went through this

process

The Naturalization Process

Step One: ApplicationStep Two: Examination—must prove the following

Age 18 or olderLegal resident of country for 5 years, state for 3 monthsGood moral characterLoyal to the U.S. ConstitutionAble to read, write, and speak EnglishKnowledge of U.S. history and form of government

Step Three: Final HearingTakes oath of loyalty in court

Naturalized citizens have all the rights and duties of citizens by birth except:

the right to be President or Vice President

Rights, Duties, and Responsibilities

Section 2

Citizen Rights

To vote and hold elected office

To say what you think in speech or in writing

To practice your own religion

To have a fair trial

And others as expressed in the Constitution

Citizen Duties

Obeying the laws

Defending the nationAt 18, men must registerMay choose to be a conscientious objector

Serving on a jury or as a witness in courtPaying taxesAttending school

Should women also register?

Citizen Responsibilities

Work toward the common good

Voting

Holding government office

Participating in election campaigns

Influencing government

Serving the community

Citizenship and Our Other Roles in Society

Section 3

The Seven Social Roles

Problems with our Roles

Changing Roles: sometimes we have to adapt within one of our roles…we cannot do the same thing all the time

Overlapping Roles: sometimes we have to fulfill more than one role at the same time

Conflicting Roles: sometimes we are expected to fulfill two roles at once and we’re not able to do so

As a Citizen

We are able to choose our level of participation

We can choose to be very involved in politicsWe can choose to participate in social events

insteadWe have the right to prioritize our roles