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Citizenship Guided Notes

SS.7.C.2.1

What is citizenship?

Key Vocabulary
Immigrant: A person who comes to a country to live there permanently (not a
citizen)

Citizen: Being a legal member of a state and/or country

Origins of Citizenship
A. Where and when does the idea of citizenship originate?

Greece

st

1 place to have a democracy

Athens had a direct democracy
Every male citizen had the chance
to participate in government
Only men who had military
training were considered citizens.

Rome

Citizens (only men who were not

enslaved) had the right to:
Vote, own property, defend
themselves in court, and have a
fair trial (among other rights).
The children of Roman citizens
automatically became Roman
citizens.

B. What two ideas of citizenship came from America and France in the 1700s?
Defined citizens in terms of belonging to a nation.

Said the power of government comes from the people governed. This idea is
known as the consent of the governed.

Citizens give their consent, or agreement, by participating in

government.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof,
are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or
enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United
States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process
of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
U.S. Constitution, Amendment XIV, Section 1 (1868)
American Citizenship
A. What is the purpose of the 14th Amendment?
The 14th amendment explains how a person can become a legal member of a
country- a citizen.
Every citizen has equal protection under the law.
B. B. Citizens, as explained in the 14th Amendment, are guaranteed their natural rights to
life, liberty, and property, which cannot be taken away without due process.
C. According to the 14th amendment, what are the only ways a person can become a citizen?
1)

Natural Born
Law of Blood: Children born to a parent or parents who are United States
citizens.

Law of Soil: Children born in the United States or Territories/Possessions

2) Naturalized: A legal process to obtain citizenship

D. What are the requirements for a person to become a naturalized citizen?
At least 18 years old

Be a lawful permanent resident for five years

Must be able to read, write, and speak English

Must be of good moral character (provide 2 letters to prove this)

Must show an understanding of US Civics & US History

E. Explain the steps of the naturalization process.

1) Gain legal residency (VISA/Green Card) for a minimum of 5 years
2) Meet all requirements to become a citizen

3) Apply for citizenship

4) Get finger printed
5) Be interviewed and pass a test
6) Take an oath.
F. When immigrants go through the naturalization process the final step is to take an Oath of
allegiance to the United States. This means they are expressing their loyalty to the
United States.
Foreign-Born Residents
Key Terms
Alien: A foreign-born resident of the United States who has not been naturalized
Refugee: A period who has left his or her home to escapes danger such as
persecution by the government, war, or natural disaster

A. There are 2 categories of legal aliens

Resident Alien: a legal immigrant who permanently lives in the United States.
Resident aliens may stay in the country as long as they wish.

Nonresident Alien: Someone who expects to stay in the United States for a
short, specified period.

B. What rights do legal aliens share with citizens?

Like citizens, legal aliens may hold jobs, own property, attend public schools, and
receive other government services.
They pay taxes to the government, and they have the right to be protected by the
law.

C. What are legal aliens not able to do?

They cannot vote in elections or run for office.
They may not serve on juries or work in most government jobs.
Aliens must carry identification cards at all times. Those cards show that they are
legal aliens.
Losing Citizenship
A. Americans can lose their citizenship in 3 ways:

Expatriation: Someone who gives his or her allegiance to a foreign country is

expatriated. An example is a person who becomes a naturalized citizen of
another country.

Denaturalization: Naturalized citizens who are found to have lied on their

citizenship application are denaturalized. That is, they lose their naturalization.
They may then be deported, or sent out of the country.

Being convicted of certain crimes: Those guilty of any of three very serious
crimes can lose citizenship. The crimes are treason, taking part in a rebellion,
and trying to overthrow the government by violent means.

Impact on Government
A. Political parties have discussed these questions about naturalization in their
party platforms, and candidates views about naturalization influence
how voters feel about naturalization and the importance of U.S. citizenship.
As more immigrants naturalize and become involved in the political process,
they also influence the debate by
voting, running for office, being selected for public office, and participating in
lawmaking.
B. Provide an example of how naturalized citizens influenced the political process.
For example, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was changed in 1975 to require that
election ballots be printed in all of the languages in a county where at least 5%
of the citizens living in that county speak that language.