Citizenship

To take the Citizenship Test (Experience Learning for non AmGovt Students): Click here 

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See files below (scroll down) for Politics in Iowa: How to Get Involved, and classroom presentation on citizenship (Part 1 & 2) for AmGovt students.

What is the definition of Citizenship?

A citizen is a participatory member of a political community. Citizenship is gained by meeting the legal requirements of a national, state, or local government. A nation grants certain rights and privileges to its citizens. In return, citizens are expected to obey their country's laws and defend it against its enemies.

The value of citizenship varies from nation to nation. In some countries, citizenship can mean a citizen has the right to vote, the right to hold government offices, and the right to collect unemployment insurance payments, to name a few examples.

Living in a country does not mean that a person is necessarily a citizen of that country. Citizens of one country who live in a foreign country are known as aliens. Their rights and duties are determined by political treaties and by the laws of the country in which they stay. In the United States, aliens must obey the laws and pay taxes, just as U.S. citizens do. They must register with the U.S. government to obtain legal permission to stay for an extended length of time. Legal aliens are entitled to protection under the law and to use of the courts. They may also own property, carry on business, and attend public schools. But aliens cannot vote or hold government office. In some states they are not allowed to practice certain professions until they become citizens.

Under United States law, a noncitizen national is a person who is neither a citizen nor an alien but who owes permanent loyalty to the United States. People in this category have some but not all of the rights of citizens. For example, inhabitants of a United States territory may not have the right to vote. Noncitizen nationals of the United States include those people on the Pacific islands of American Samoa who were born after the territory was taken over by the United States in 1900.

How do you become a citizen?

Every nation provides ways of becoming a citizen. For most people citizenship is a matter of birth. For others it may be acquired through a process known as naturalization.

Two rules are used to determine citizenship by birth: (1) jus sanguinis ("law of the blood"); and (2)jus soli ("law of the soil"). Under jus sanguinis, children take their parents' nationality regardless of where they are born. For example, a child born to Italian parents in Britain is a citizen of Italy. On the other hand, the rule of jus soli says that children are citizens of the nation in which they are born, no matter what the parents' nationalities are. Thus a child born to Italian parents in Britain is also a citizen of Britain. Since most nations apply both of these rules, a person can become a citizen of two nations. This is called dual citizenship.

Dual citizenship can result from naturalization, which is the legal way in which people change their citizenship. Internal law protects naturalized citizens as long as they live in their new country. But they may lose their new citizenship if they return to the country of their birth and remain for a long time. In wartime, a serious problem could arise if both countries demand their services in the armed forces.

Source: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/government/civics.htm

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What are our responsibilities as U.S. citizens?

•Support and defend the Constitution.

•Stay informed.

•Participate in the democratic process.

–Vote*, public office, write rep, and politics

•Respect and obey laws.

•Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others.

•Participate in your local community.

•Pay taxes.

•Serve on a jury (if needed)

•Serve in military (if needed).

*most important

Source: http://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship

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As a citizen of the United States of America— you are “a peer of kings” as President Calvin Coolidge once said. 

All people in the United States have the basic freedoms and protections outlined in our founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. For more than 200 years, we have been bound by the ideals expressed in these documents. Because of these ideals, our society has prospered. The U.S. government, as established in the Constitution, protects the rights of each individual, without regard to background, culture, or religion. To keep our system of representative democracy and individual freedom, you should strive to become an active participant in American civic life. Upon taking the Oath of Allegiance, you promise your loyalty and allegiance to the United States of America. U.S. citizens have important rights and responsibilities. These include the right to vote in federal elections and the ability to serve on a jury. Citizenship is a privilege that offers the extraordinary opportunity to be a part of the governing process. Former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “The only title in our democracy superior to that of President [is] the title of citizen.” In the United States, the power of government comes directly from the people. To protect freedom and liberty, U.S. citizens must participate in the democratic process and in their communities. The following is a list of some of the most important rights and responsibilities that all citizens should exercise and respect. We encourage you to read the Constitution to learn more about all of the rights and responsibilities of United States citizenship.

Source: http://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship