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Civics Unit 5: Citizenship, rights and responsibilities

Citizens have rights protected by the Constitution and courts, along with duties and responsibilities to their communities.

Covers: Becoming a citizen, duties and responsibilities, civil rights and civil liberties, landmark Supreme Court cases, the legal system

Study guide

A person becomes a US citizen by birth (born in the US or to US citizen parents) or by naturalization. The 14th Amendment grants citizenship to everyone born or naturalized in the United States. To naturalize, a permanent resident typically must be 18 or older, live in the US for five years (three if married to a citizen), show good moral character, pass English and civics tests, and take the Oath of Allegiance. Citizens have duties, which are required by law: obeying laws, paying taxes, serving on a jury when called, appearing in court as a witness when required, and registering with the Selective Service for men ages 18 to 25. Responsibilities are voluntary but important: voting, staying informed, volunteering, respecting others' rights and participating in the community.

Civil liberties protect individuals from government interference, like freedom of speech and religion. Civil rights guarantee equal treatment, like protection from discrimination. Rights have limits: speech that incites imminent violence, defamation and true threats aren't protected. The 14th Amendment's due process and equal protection clauses apply most of the Bill of Rights to the states. The civil rights movement led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination in public places and employment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Landmark Supreme Court cases define rights. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ended legal school segregation, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) guaranteed lawyers for poor defendants in felony cases. Miranda v. Arizona (1966) requires police to tell suspects their rights. Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) protected students' symbolic speech. New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985) allowed school searches based on reasonable suspicion. The legal system includes criminal law (crimes against society, prosecuted by the government) and civil law (disputes between parties, like contracts and property). Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

In the Oath of Allegiance, new citizens give up loyalty to other countries and promise to support and defend the Constitution and US laws. They also promise to serve in the military or do civilian work for the nation if the law requires it. Good citizens show civic virtues such as patriotism (love of and loyalty to one's country), respect and courtesy toward others, honesty, responsibility, and tolerance of different views.

The civil rights movement fought to end racial segregation and discrimination through nonviolent protest, boycotts, marches and lawsuits. Rosa Parks's 1955 arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Martin Luther King Jr. led nonviolent campaigns and gave his "I Have a Dream" speech at the 1963 March on Washington. Some children become citizens automatically through derivation, when a parent naturalizes while the child is a permanent resident under 18 living in the parent's custody.

Key ideas

• Citizenship comes by birth or naturalization.
• Duties are required by law; responsibilities are voluntary.
• Civil liberties protect freedoms; civil rights guarantee equal treatment.
• The 14th Amendment applies most of the Bill of Rights to the states.
• Landmark cases like Brown, Gideon, Miranda and Tinker define rights.

Formulas and rules

Common mistakes

• Thinking voting is a legal duty; it's a responsibility in the US.
• Thinking free speech protects all speech; incitement and true threats aren't protected.

Words to know

Citizen

A legal member of a nation.

Naturalization

The process of becoming a citizen.

Fourteenth Amendment

Grants citizenship and equal protection under the law.

Duty

An action required by law, like paying taxes.

Responsibility

A voluntary action that helps the community, like voting.

Jury duty

The legal duty to serve on a jury when called.

Selective Service

The system men ages 18–25 must register with.

Civil liberties

Freedoms protected from government interference.

Civil rights

Guarantees of equal treatment.

Equal protection clause

Requires states to treat people equally under the law.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Banned discrimination in public places and employment.

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 case that ended legal school segregation.

Gideon v. Wainwright

1963 case guaranteeing lawyers for poor defendants.

Miranda v. Arizona

1966 case requiring police to inform suspects of their rights.

Tinker v. Des Moines

1969 case protecting students' symbolic speech.

Criminal law

Law dealing with crimes against society.

Civil law

Law dealing with disputes between parties.

Presumption of innocence

A defendant is innocent until proven guilty.

Sample practice questions

5 more questions like these, from level 1 to 5, are in the practice set.