The Basis of Citizenship
Key Terms
naturalization, jus soli, jus sanguinis, collective
naturalization, expatriation, denaturalization
Find Out
• What are the requirements for citizenship in the
United States?
• What are the main responsibilities of
American citizens?
The Basis of Citizenship
Understanding Concepts
Constitutional Interpretations What
questions about citizenship did the
Fourteenth Amendment answer?
Section Objective
Explain the requirements for United
States citizenship.
Certain citizens of the United States by
birth were also made citizens by
Congress. When Congress admitted Texas
as a state in 1845, it also made all the
people of Texas citizens of the U.S.
I. National Citizenship (pages 391–393)
A. Citizens of the United States have rights,
responsibilities, and duties.
B. The Founders assumed the states would
decide who was a citizen.
C. Citizenship came to have both a national
and a state dimension.
D. The Dred Scott (1857) ruling that African
Americans were not U.S. citizens led to the
adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment,
which defined citizenship at both the state
and national levels.
I. National Citizenship (pages 391–393)
How did the adoption of the Fourteenth
Amendment change the basis of
citizenship?
States determined citizenship until the
Fourteenth Amendment defined citizenship.
II. Citizenship by Birth (page 393)
A. Citizens by the “law of the soil” are born in
the U.S. or its territories.
B. Children born to a parent who is a U.S.
citizen are also citizens by the “law of blood,”
including children born in another country of
American parents.
II. Citizenship by Birth (page 393)
In what two ways is American citizenship
acquired at birth?
Jus soli [law of the soil], or birth in the U.S.,
and jus sanguinis [law of blood], or birth to
American parents.
III. Citizenship by Naturalization (pages 393–394)
A. Naturalized citizens have most of the rights
and privileges of native-born citizens.
B. Congress has established qualifications
for naturalization:
1. Applicants must be of good moral
character and have entered the
U.S. legally.
2. Applicants must read, write, and
speak English.
3. Applicants must show basic knowledge
of American history and government
and support the principles of
American government.
III. Citizenship by Naturalization (pages 393–394)
Why must applicants show basic knowledge
of American history and government?
Citizens must understand these subjects in
order to participate fully in government.
IV. Steps to Citizenship (pages 394–395)
A. An applicant must file a petition requesting
citizenship, be at least 18 years old, have
been a lawfully admitted resident alien for 30
months out of the previous 5 years, and have
resided in the state for at least 3 months.
B. At a final hearing, a federal judge
administers the oath of allegiance to the
new citizens.
IV. Steps to Citizenship (pages 394–395)
Why are applicants for citizenship
questioned about American government
and history?
Citizens must understand these subjects to
participate in government.
V. Losing Citizenship (pages 395–396)
A. Only the federal government can take
away citizenship.
B. A person may lose citizenship voluntarily
or involuntarily.
V. Losing Citizenship (pages 395–396)
How may citizenship be taken away?
Expatriation, crimes such as treason,
or denaturalization.
VI.The Responsibilities of Citizens
(pages 396–397)
A. Responsible citizens need to know about the
laws that govern society.
B. Responsible citizens participate in
political life.
VI.The Responsibilities of Citizens
(pages 396–397)
Which responsibilities of citizenship do you
consider the most important? Explain.
Answers will vary. See text pages 396–397.
Checking for Understanding
1. Main Idea Use a graphic organizer like the
one below to describe the conditions of
American citizenship.
sources: birth on American soil, birth to an
American parent, naturalization
responsibilities: knowing the laws,
participating in political life, voting
Checking for Understanding
Match the term with the correct definition.
___
E naturalization
A. giving up one’s citizenship by
leaving to live in a foreign country
___
C jus soli
B. the principle that grants citizenship
on the basis of the citizenship of
one’s parents
___
B jus sanguinis
___
F collective
naturalization
___
A expatriation
___
D denaturalization
C. the principle that grants citizenship
to nearly all people born in a country
D. the loss of citizenship through fraud
or deception during the
naturalization process
E. the legal process by which a person
is granted citizenship
F. A process by which a group of
people become American citizens
through an act of Congress
Checking for Understanding
3. Identify Dred Scott v. Sandford.
Dred Scott v. Sandford is the Supreme Court
case ruling that decided African Americans were
not U.S. citizens and led to the adoption of the
Fourteenth Amendment, which defined
citizenship at both the state and national levels.
Checking for Understanding
4. What are the five requirements for becoming a
naturalized citizen?
Applicants must have entered the United
States legally; be of good moral character;
declare their support of the principles of
American government; prove that they can
read, write, and speak English; and show
some basic knowledge of American history
and government.
Checking for Understanding
5. In what three ways may American citizenship
be lost?
American citizenships may be lost through
expatriation, as a punishment for treason,
or denaturalization.
Critical Thinking
6. Synthesizing Information Why does the
United States require citizenship applicants to
speak English and have knowledge of the
American government?
Possible answer: Since the United States is
based on self-government, it is vital that new
citizens understand and support the principles
of government and speak the language in order
to participate.
Constitutional Interpretations The
Fourteenth Amendment extends the
“privileges and immunities” of each state
to all American citizens. Make a chart that
lists the privileges that you believe your
state should provide out-of-state persons
and the privileges that should extend only
to residents of your state.