Rights and Responsibilities of U.S. Citizens

The rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens, and how to become a one.

Citizenship

Being a citizen of a country means that the country officially recognizes you as a member. All people who have citizenship in a country have certain rights that non-citizens do not have.

Just living in a country is not what determines citizenship, however. There are two ways to have citizenship status in the United States.

• Birthright citizenship, granted by the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution, means that all persons born in the United States (or who have a parent that is a US citizen) are citizens.

• Naturalization is a legal process for people not born in the United States to become citizens. Permanent resident status is given to some immigrants to allow them to live in the United States

CITIZENSHIP IN DC AND U.S. TERRITORIES

Washington D.C. - Citizens who live in the District of Columbia (DC) are not represented in the House of Representative or Senate but can participate in presidential elections.

Puerto Rico - People born in Puerto Rico are considered citizens of the United States, but they cannot vote in federal elections and do not elect any representatives to Congress.

Other Territories - Residents of the other U.S. territories (Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands) cannot vote in federal elections, but they do elect nonvoting delegates to the U.S. House of Representatives.

BECOMING A US CITIZEN

This is a multi-step process.

1. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and usually need to live in the United States for a period of time.

2. Fill out and submit an application for naturalization.

3. Get fingerprinted and have a background check done.

4. Complete an interview with a government official and take English and citizenship tests.

5. Attend a ceremony to take the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America

QUALIFICATIONS FOR NATURALIZATION

Applicants must meet these qualifications to be eligible for naturalization:

be at least 18 years old

have legal permission for at least five years to permanently reside within the US

live in the United States for five years consecutively before filing for citizenship

complete official paperwork

have a good moral character

follow the principles of the US government as found in the Constitution

show basic knowledge of US history and government by passing a test . The test has questions about US history, geography, and civics.

be able to read, write, and speak a basic level of English

Citizens’ Rights

Rights are due to a person by law , tradition , or nature . Although our basic rights were spelled out in the Bill of Rights , other rights are guaranteed through new laws and court findings.

Within the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment is one of the broadest. The First Amendment guarantees the following rights:

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of Religion

Freedom of the Press

Freedom of Assembly

The Right to Petition the Government

BEYOND THE BILL OF RIGHTS

All people living in the United States also enjoy rights and freedoms not specifically stated in the Bill of Rights. Some of these rights are:

freedom of thought, conscience , movement, and residence

due process of law, and equal protection under the law

establish and operate a business

RIGHTS ARE NOT ABSOLUTE

Rights vary given one’s status (resident vs citizen, for example), but also by one’s location or circumstance.

THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN

While children, or minors (usually children under the age of 18) don't have the right to vote , own property, consent to medical treatment , sue or be sued, or enter into certain kinds of contracts, they have very specific rights in schools, the home, and in the workplace.

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act there are strict limits on what information school officials have about students that they can share with others.

The Fair Labor Standards Act sets the minimum age for minors seeking employment and protects minors from being employed in hazardous conditions

Citizens’ Responsibilities

RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS

Americans have rights but also have responsibilities , some of which are required by law, and others which are customary and voluntary. For example, obeying laws is a required responsibility, but voting is voluntary .

In a democratic society, rights and responsibilities are reciprocal . That means you can’t have one without the other.

RESPONSIBILITIES

US citizens are expected to fulfill the following responsibilities:

Stay informed and get involved

Obey laws and pay taxes

Serve on juries

Vote

Defend the country (or pay the taxes to do so)

Respect others