Citizenship and Rights Flashcards

Grade 5 · Social Studies · Flashcards

Key vocabulary for understanding what it means to be a citizen in a democracy.

Flashcards

Citizen: A person legally recognized as a member of a country, entitled to its rights and subject to its responsibilities.
Naturalization: The legal process through which an immigrant becomes a citizen of a new country by meeting residency, language, and civics requirements.
Democracy: A system of government in which citizens hold power, typically by voting for representatives who make decisions on their behalf.
14th Amendment: Ratified in 1868; guarantees equal protection under the law and defines citizenship for all people born or naturalized in the U.S.
15th Amendment: Ratified in 1870; prohibited denying the right to vote based on race, giving Black men the right to vote.
19th Amendment: Ratified in 1920; gave women the right to vote (women's suffrage).
24th Amendment: Ratified in 1964; abolished poll taxes, which had been used to prevent poor (often Black) citizens from voting.
26th Amendment: Ratified in 1971; lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
Rights: Freedoms and protections guaranteed to citizens by law, such as freedom of speech, religion, and equal protection.
Responsibilities: Duties citizens are expected to perform, including obeying laws, paying taxes, voting, and serving on juries.