It will also suggest those things you should think about in deciding whether or not you should participate. When you finish the lesson, you should know the difference between a citizen and a non-citizen. You should also be able to support your views on whether and to what extent a citizen should participate in government. Anyone who is born in the United States or whose parents are U.S. citizens is a citizen of the United States. An alien is a person who is not a citizen.
Many aliens can become citizens by following certain rules and procedures.
The government protects many rights for anyone who lives in the United States. But citizens have one right aliens do not have. That is the right to vote and be elected to public office. Many people say that citizens also have important responsibilities to their country that aliens do not. We will examine what those responsibilities might be in this lesson.