Citizenship

Citizenship is membership in a political community, usually carrying rights and responsibilities and often defined by law.

Nationality: A person's legal bond to a state, often determining which state recognizes them as a member. Nationality often establishes the state in which citizenship rights can be claimed.
Jus soli: A rule granting citizenship based on birth within a state's territory. This principle makes birthplace a route into citizenship.
Right to vote: The legal entitlement to cast a ballot in an election. Citizenship often determines who may choose national representatives.
Permanent residency: A legal status allowing a noncitizen to live indefinitely in a country. It can provide residence and work rights without full political membership.
Civil rights: Legal protections that secure individual liberty and equal treatment. Civil rights define protections that citizenship may guarantee within a political community.
Jus sanguinis: A rule granting citizenship through descent from a citizen parent. This principle transmits citizenship across generations, including across borders.
Consular protection: Assistance a state provides its nationals through diplomatic missions abroad. Citizenship can secure state assistance when a person faces difficulties overseas.
Denizenship: A condition of long-term residence with substantial rights but without full citizenship. It describes partial membership between temporary residence and citizenship.
Political participation: Actions through which people influence public decisions and political institutions. Voting and public service are common ways citizens exercise membership politically.
Naturalization: The legal process by which a noncitizen acquires a country's citizenship. It is a common route to citizenship after birth.

Linked from 51 pages