A citizen is a person who is a member of a political community and is recognized as having rights and responsibilities in this community. Citizenship is usually based on birth or the nationality of one’s parents, and is often associated with participation in government and some form of military service. Citizenship can also be acquired by an individual through naturalization or some other procedure that confers the right to vote in elections and participate in the civic life of a country. Individuals can also be described as citizens of a region or town, which may reflect their affiliation with a local political body.
Different conceptions of citizenship have developed, with some being rooted in the writings of authors such as Aristotle, Tacitus, Cicero, Machiavelli and Rousseau and others grounded in specific historical experiences like Athenian democracy, Republican Rome, Italian city-states and workers’ councils. In general, these conceptions are distinguished by four disagreements: over the precise definition of each element; over their relative importance; over the causal and/or conceptual relations between them; over appropriate normative standards.
In the United States, there are many debates over what it means to be a good citizen. For example, a lot of people think it’s important to vote in all elections, pay your taxes and don’t break the law. In addition, people are expected to be productive members of society by working, volunteering and contributing to the economy of their country.
According to a Pew Research Center survey, around three-quarters of Americans said it was very important for them to participate in their country’s politics and civic life (voting, attending meetings and paying attention to what their government does). A smaller number considered it very important that they know the Pledge of Allegiance, volunteer to help others, read news reports, practice religion and speak their native language, sign petitions, protest against wrongdoing by their government or contribute money to charities.
It’s difficult for some people to acknowledge that they should put the goal of helping their community and country over their own viewpoints or personal agendas. This is particularly true when it comes to other people who don’t share their own beliefs or viewpoints on how a country should be run or even what the goals of the country should be.
In the United States, it’s often easier to understand the concept of citizenship when looking at the work done by our elected officials and their staffs. For instance, New Hampshire Senator and Madbury resident Jeanne Shaheen is an engaged citizen who listens to her constituents and takes their concerns or feedback to Washington with great concern and care. This is one of the most important jobs that any citizen can do, and it requires a level of engagement that is often overlooked by the general public. Hopefully, more people will take on this task and strive to be the best citizen that they can be! Then they will have a better chance of making the world a better place.