THINGS TO DO Questions to ask and answer in your study group: 1. What does it mean to say that "all are needed by each one"? 2. Why did the early groups come to America to make their homes? Show some of the ways in which the early groups were like one another. List some of the ways in which they were different. 3. Look at the map facing the first page of your book. Find the State in which you live. In what part of the United States is it? What States are near your State with which it must work? In what part of your State do you live? With what towns or cities must your government group work? 4. Name all of the groups to which you belong. Why did you join them? Are there other groups which you would like to join? Why do you want to join them? of the groups which you do not care to join. Name some Why not? 5. Study the groups to which you belong and tell the different ways in which they are like one another. In what ways are they different? 6. Name three government groups of which a citizen is a member. What do we mean by saying that in our government groups we live in "wheels within wheels"? 7. What is meant by a "democracy"? In what way is "final authority" different from "delegated authority" in a democracy? 8. What do you understand is meant by a “basic principle"? What great paper contains some of these basic principles? 9. Show how "representative government" makes it necessary for different groups to work well together. What makes it possible for government groups to work well together? 10. Study the government services which you enjoy every day. Are all of them supplied by one government alone? Which are brought to you by two governments working together? What might happen if the two governments did not get along well together? CHAPTER II Our Citizens and How To Become a Citizen "There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says that he is an American, but something else also, is not an American at all." -Theodore Roosevelt. Every person in the United States enjoys our group life. If he obeys the laws, he is free to move from place to place. He can set up a home and join a neighborhood group. He can send his children to a public or to a private school group. He can join a church group or he can refuse to join one. He is free to enjoy the public parks, public libraries, and the other services which our Government supplies. GETTING READY TO JOIN OUR GROUP A person need not join one of our groups unless he is willing. One man wants to be a doctor. Another wants to work in a factory. Some people want to join a Protestant church group. Others wish to unite with the Roman Catholic church. Other persons may prefer other churches. But if we would join a group, then we must be willing. It is not enough to be willing. We must be qualified in order to be of some use to our group. We must make ready. We want only those in our group who can be of some use to the group. For example, we want only those persons in our work group who know how to do the work. We want only those policemen and firemen who are qualified. It is necessary that a person be a citizen of the United States in order to join some groups. A citizen is a per son who has full rights. He can look to the Government to protect him in the use of his rights. He respects and supports his Government. If a person wants to help govern our State and Nation, then he must be a citizen. Only citizens have full rights. THE CITIZENS GOVERN IN THE UNITED STATES The Government in the United States belongs to the people. The citizens have the final authority. A public officer cannot use authority unless the citizens have agreed, in their plan of government, that he should use it. The citizens may not always use their power to govern. The citizens as such, for example, do not carry out the laws. They choose representatives to carry on the work of the Government for them. We have a democracy in the United States. But we are governed by representatives who make and enforce most of the laws. For that reason we say that we have a representative democracy. We call a representative democracy a republic. We have a republic in the United States. WHO ARE OUR CITIZENS? Since only citizens have full rights and have the final authority in the United States, it is important to know who are citizens. We also want to know how a person who is not a citizen may become a citizen. All of these matters are controlled by the Constitution and laws of the United States. The Constitution of the United States says that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." If a per son is born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction, then he is a citizen. The Constitution says so. Most persons are citizens because they were born here. Other persons, who were born outside of the United States, are citizens because they have been naturalized. 7 Millions of people who were born in foreign countries have come to the United States to make their homes. Many of them have done what the law required them to do in order to become citizens, and have received their citizenship or naturalization papers. They have become naturalized citizens. WHO MAY BE NATURALIZED The laws which control naturalization are made by the Congress. The Constitution of the United States gives the Congress that authority. The Congress passed the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1952. It says that a person can be naturalized only in the manner and subject to the conditions set out in that law. The law does not let every alien take out naturalization papers. It says, in general, that before he can petition for citizenship he must have attained the age of 18 years; must have lived in the United States for at least five years and have been physically present in this country for periods totaling at least half that time. He must have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. He must live in the State in which he files his petition six months before he petitions for citizenship. Before he can become naturalized, he must be able to speak, read, and write English (with certain exceptions), if he is physically able to do so. He must understand the history and the Constitution and Government of the United States. He must prove that he has been and is a person of good moral character. He cannot be naturalized if he is or has been opposed to organized government, or if he is or has been a Communist, within 10 years of date of filing his petition. If an alien has qualified on all matters laid down by the law, then he may ask for citizenship. Before he can become a citizen, however, the law says that he must take the following oath: I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely 2 state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have The oath, in easier words, is as follows: 2 (I give my oath that I give up completely the After the oath has been taken, the judge signs the order granting naturalization, and the new citizen is given a certificate of naturalization. This is the official paper that shows that the petitioner is now a citizen of his new nation, the country of his choice. Persons interested in becoming naturalized citizens of the United States should apply to the nearest office of the Immigration and Naturalization Service since the procedure may vary in individual cases. 2 The Immigration and Nationality Act permits, under certain circumstances, the taking of the oath without these clauses. |