Citizenship and Civic Life

Foreign Policy GoalsCitizenship

An important aspect of being an American is citizenship. You may be unfamiliar with how people become American citizens, or what rights all citizens are guaranteed under the Constitution. In this episode, you will learn what citizenship is, how to become a citizen, and how Americans may lose citizenship. Click the player button to begin this episode.

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Foreign Policy ToolsParticipation in Civic Life

Native-born and naturalized citizens are both expected to actively participate in civic life. In this episode, Julio Czar explains different ways that American citizens may participate in civic life, as well as some of the important civic values held by most Americans. Click the player button to start.

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Did You Know?

Madeleine Albright

Madeleine Albright, Former Secretary of State

The United States has always been a nation of immigrants. Naturalized citizens have accomplished great things and contributed immensely to American society. Madeleine Albright served as the first female Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton. She was unanimously confirmed by the Senate after her nomination. When she was sworn in on January 23, 1997, she was the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government up until that point.

In 1937, Madeleine Albright was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, currently known as the Czech Republic. After the end of World War II, her family immigrated to the United States, eventually settling in Denver, Colorado. She officially became a U.S. citizen in 1957. After receiving her PhD from Columbia University, Albright began working in the White House as a congressional liaison for the National Security Council under the Carter administration. Madeleine Albright stayed active in academia and government for many years, and in 1993, she received her first diplomatic posting when she was nominated as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. She did an excellent job performing her duties in this diplomatic role, which helped earn her nomination as the Secretary of State.

 

Citizenship and Civic Life ReviewCitizenship and Civic Life Review

Now that you have finished examining American citizenship, it is time to test your knowledge. Using everything you have learned, complete this brief non-graded interactivity. This review consists of a series of multiple choice and multiple selection questions about American citizenship. Select the best answer for each question and click SUBMIT to review. Click the player button to begin.