Citizenship and Responsibilities

Citizenship and Responsibilities

By Mary Corrigan

Rule of blood - born to at least one American parent

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Rule of soil - born in the United States or territory​

​Natural-born citizens

​a community member who is loyal to the government and entitled to its protections​

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Defined by the 14th Amendment​

Citizen

Citizenship

​Benefits of citizenship: voting, US passport, job eligibility

1. Live in the US for at least 5 years

2. Fill out the application and pay fees

3. Pass the Citizenship Test

4. Swear an Oath of Allegiance

5. Receive certificate​

Naturalization Process

​the process an immigrant completes to gain United States citizenship​

Naturalization

Naturalization Process

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Multiple Choice

Who of the following is NOT a US citizen?

• John is 12. His mom and dad are from Korea but moved to the US 15 years ago.

• Kelly's mom was born in Miami but moved to Ireland with her husband and started a family.

• Brenda is 17 and moved to the United States when she was 13 from France where her parents are from.

• Doris takes her immigration certificate to apply for her new US passport so she can travel back to her home country

This means all citizens should be treated equally and held accountable to the law​

Application

government idea that no one is above or below the law​

Rule of Law

Rule of Law

Since the President is a citizen, even they are held to the same laws as the rest of the country

Multiple Choice

Which Supreme Court case dealt with the notion that the President is not above the law?

• Marbury v. Madison

• Bush v. Gore

• Nixon v. US

• DC v Heller

Free speech, religion, etc...

Due Process

Pursuit of happiness

Vote​

Examples:

freedoms that are protected by the government

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​in the US, guaranteed by the Constitution & Bill of Rights

What are rights?

Rights

Multiple Choice

Where can we find a listing of the fundamental rights guaranteed to us by our government?

• Declaration of Independence

• Bill of Rights

• State charter

• Articles of Confederation

Community service

Participating in government

​Staying informed on local issues

​Voting

Examples

something you should do

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not required​

What is a responsibility?

Responsibilities

Voting is both a right and a responsibility; while we are not required to vote, voting is important to the democratic process

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a benefit of citizens fulfilling their responsibilities

• A stronger democracy with more voices of the people

• Citizens more informed about their government

• Better communication between citizens and the government

• Less tax money for the government to spend on programs

Jury duty

Selective Service (draft)

Pay taxes

Obeying laws​

Examples:

​Something you have to do

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Required, usually by law​

What is an obligation?

Obligations (duties)

Obligations often protect the rights of others and are necessary for government to function

Multiple Choice

Why is paying taxes an obligation of citizenship?

• Taxes are not important to citizenship and just a way for the government to control people

• taxes help fund the programs and resources the government provides

• Paying taxes is not an obligation but is a responsibility

• It is not important for citizens to pay taxes

Multiple Choice

Why is it important for citizens to complete their obligations?

• Many of the obligations of citizenship help protect the rights of others

• Citizens must complete their obligations in order to be able to vote

• Citizenship can be revoked if we do not do all of our obligations

• The government will only protect the rights of citizens who fulfill their obligations