Good Citizenship
By~ Liz Hartman and Vicki Fulton
Who Is A U.S. Citizen?
- Anyone born in the U.S. or its territories
- A parent who was a U.S. citizen when you were born
- Naturalization, Process becoming a citizen
- Parents were naturalized when younger than 18
How To Be A Citizen
3 Things Must Be Done
To be a citizen, you have rights, duties, and responsibilities that must be fulfilled.
Rights
As a citizen of the U.S. you have many rights.
- Right to vote or hold office
- Freedom of speech and press
- Freedom of religion
- Fair Trial
Duties
- Obeying laws
- Defending the nation
- Serving on jury or as a witness
- Pay taxes
- Attending school
Responsibilities
These are fulfilled by choice.
- Working towered the common good
- Participate in political process
- Voting
- Holding Government Office
- Participating in Election Campaign
- Influencing Government
- Serving Community
What power does one have with the “office of citizen?”
As a United States citizen, you have the power to influence government by voting for officials and representatives that support your beliefs. Each citizen has an impact on our society.
How Does One Become A Citizen?
If you were born in the United States, or your parents were U.S. citizens when you were born, then you already are a citizen! If neither of those things were true, then you have to go through a process called naturalization. In order to be naturalized, you must meet these requirements:
- Be 18 years or older
- Lived in the U.S. for 5 years
- You can't have committed certain crimes
- Loyal to he U.S. Constitution
- Able to read, write, and speak English
- Know about the history of the U.S. government
You must take a test to prove that you know about U.S. history before you can legally become a citizen.