Chapter 1: Americans, Citizenship, and Governments Lesson 2: Being a Citizen

What is Civics? Citizens: a member of a community of people who owe loyalty to a government and, in turn, are entitled to its protection Civics: the study of the rights and duties of citizens Thomas Jefferson, one of the Founding Fathers, wrote, “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.”

Roots of Citizenship Citizenship: the rights and duties of citizens Government: the ruling authority of the community The idea of citizenship dates back 2,500 years ago to ancient Greece and Rome Provided citizens, males only, legal rights and allowed the to participate in the government 1700s, revolutionary thinkers from France and America brought back the ancient ideas along with new ideas influenced by their modern lifestyles They defined citizens as belonging to a nation They also said the power of the government comes from the people (popular sovereignty) “Consent of the governed”

Roots of Citizenship American citizens were white males 14th Amendment (1868) redefined citizenship and allowed African American males the right to vote 19th Amendment (1920) gave women the right to vote Indian Citizenship Act (1924) declared all Native Americans citizens of the United States

Natural-Born Citizens Any person born in any of the 50 states or in the District of Columbia automatically become American citizens at birth Also if someone is born in American territory, such as Puerto Rico, or a U.S. military base overseas This rule still applies to children born on American soil to people who are not U.S. citizens A person born in another country can claim citizenship if both parents are U.S. citizens or if one parent is a citizens who has lived in the United States. The United States does allow dual citizenship, he or she may be a citizen of the United States and another country

Naturalized Citizens Naturalization: a legal process to obtain citizenship Requirements 18 years or older A lawful permanent resident for 5 years Able to read, write, and speak English Be of good moral character Show an understanding of U.S. civics

Naturalized Citizen Step 1: Complete an application and send to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Step 2: USCIS makes sure the person meets all 5 requirements Step 3: Citizenship Exam Step 4: Special ceremony Take an oath in which they swear to obey the Constitution and the country’s laws If they have children under the age of 18, they become citizens as well

Losing Citizenship Expatriation Denaturalization Someone who gives his or her allegiance to a foreign country Denaturalization Citizens who are found to have lied on their citizenship application Being convicted of certain crimes Treason, taking part in a rebellion, and trying to overthrow the government by violent means Must be found guilty

Foreign-Born Residents Aliens- a foreign-born resident of the United States who has not been naturalized Legal Aliens Resident alien: legal immigrant who permanently lives in the United States 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 of time

Foreign-Born Residents Legal Aliens May/Can Hold jobs Own property Attend public schools Receive other government services Pay taxes Have the right to the protection of the law Legal Aliens May NOT Vote in elections Run for office Serve on juries Work in most government jobs Legal Aliens MUST Carry identification cards at all time!!!

Refugees Refugees: a person who has left his or her home to escape danger such as persecution by the government, war, or natural disaster They government grants refugee status to people only if they can prove that they really are in danger if they return to their homeland

Illegal Aliens The US limits the amount of immigrants who can enter the country each year to about 1 million Relatives of US citizens receive the highest priority, or highest ranking People who job skills that are needed by employers in the US 12 million people are living in the US illegally Crossed the boards of Mexico or Canada illegally Nonresident aliens that stayed past their visa expiration date Can be arrested and deported to their home countries if they are caught They have a very difficult time finding jobs because it is illegal to hire a person who is in the US illegally