Introduction Essay: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship

Written by: Kirk Higgins, Bill of Rights Institute

Guiding Question

How does one become a citizen? And what are the rules and regulations that define American citizenship?

The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship

What does it mean to be a citizen? Legally it means individuals who are members of sovereign nations. Citizens submit to the laws and requirements of the country to which they belong and, in return, receive the protections and rights of that country. But understanding what a citizen is barely scratches the surface of what it means to be a citizen.  Understanding what opportunities citizenship provides along with the responsibilities citizenship requires is important. These rights and responsibilities shape our lives and our communities in innumerable ways.   

The words civics and citizenship have similar origins. The Latin roots of both words relate to the idea of the “city”. In ancient Greece and Rome, the status of citizen was held by   individuals who were recognized as free people with particular rights and privileges. This tradition continued in Europe in the Middle Ages and this understanding was held by the Founding generation in the United States.  

The United States was founded as a self-governing republic. It derives its authority from the consent of the governed. Consent is provided by the people who were citizens of the United States. Over time, the status of citizen has expanded in the United States most explicitly in the Fourteenth Amendment. Citizenship denotes individuals with certain civil rights and responsibilities. The government is instituted to protect the natural rights of its citizens.  

This argument is made in the Declaration of Independence and is the basis of the Constitution’s authority. It is the responsibility of citizens to ensure that government aims at its appropriate ends. These ends are seen in the Preamble of the Constitution, which states is to, “establish justice, secure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty.” This requires actions from both the people and the government and sets the stage for the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. 

The legal rights of citizenship include things like voting in elections and due process of law for the accused. Responsibilities include things like paying taxes and serving on juries. On paper, these seem simple, but they require much more of us. For example, voting requires us to be informed on the issues facing our communities. The best way to get informed is to be engaged.  

Getting engaged comes in many forms. Joining or supporting charities, clubs, religious institutions, and other voluntary groups connects one to their community through service, providing opportunities to address community challenges. In a similar way, starting a business can provide needed jobs, goods, and services that support the community. And of course, serving in public office or working for the government provides an opportunity to work on behalf of the interests of the community or country.    

Good civic habits, also called virtues, facilitate this engagement, which is critical for maintaining a democracy. Civic virtues like integrity, responsibility, courage, and justice bind us together as citizens. They do so by supporting just civic action and promoting a common identity around living freely within our communities. Other virtues like moderation, humility, prudence, and respect help us deliberate and forge consensus around just laws and decisions at the national and local level, forming healthy communities in civil society.  

For the first 80 years of the country, citizenship was primarily understood to be conferred on people by their states. The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution created national citizenship, that everyone born in the United States is a citizen. Individuals who move, or immigrate, to the United States can also become citizens through a process known as naturalization. This process is defined by federal law and has changed greatly over time. Studying this history helps us better understand debates over our immigration system which continue today.  

It is important to know the legal rights and responsibilities of citizenship. The resources in this section explain more about those rights and responsibilities, but they also address the process of becoming a citizen. Being a citizen provides individuals with the opportunity to direct their government and ensure it works toward the common good. However, that opportunity requires citizens be engaged in their communities committed to solving the challenges they face. As a citizen or future citizen, you can be part of this great American experiment in self-government and shape the future of our nation.