A citizen is a person who holds a legal relationship with one or more nation states. Citizenship grants the privileges and rights of that state, while also imposing obligations. Citizenship also carries with it the responsibility to participate in political life.
Historically, citizenship was a prestigious status. It entailed both social and economic advantages. Those with the status could vote in elections and run for office, and were usually provided with legal protection. However, even in this era citizenship was not for everyone. Slaves, peasants, women and resident foreigners were not citizens. The modern concept of citizenship varies from country to country. Some countries have very strict requirements for those who wish to become citizens, while others are very liberal. The definition of a good citizen differs widely as well.
In some cultures, the term “citizen” has more of a religious significance than a political one. In ancient Greece, for example, citizenship was linked to the notion of civic virtue. This included adherence to laws and the observance of certain social codes. Those who were considered to be “civilized” or “good citizens” were generally people of honorable character and respectable means, often members of the middle class. The concept of citizenship in the medieval world was based on belonging to a city or town and being part of a mercantile or trading class. It was often tied to the right to hold property and to receive taxes. Citizenship was also associated with loyalty to the kingdom of God, and the idea of a divine right of sovereignty was prominent.
Generally speaking, being a good citizen requires that a person be a loyal supporter of the government under which they live. That does not mean, however, that the person should agree with the ideology of the government in question. During the Nazi regime, for example, it was considered good citizenship to hand over Jewish neighbors for execution. Similarly, during the days of slavery in the United States, it was considered a good citizen to report runaway slaves.
Being a good citizen also involves being respectful of other countries and their citizens. This is particularly important when the two countries are in conflict. It is also important to conserve natural resources, as it benefits the entire community. A good citizen should keep up with the news from other parts of the world and be open to learning new things about different cultures.
The majority of Americans believe that it is important to be a good citizen. However, there are sizable partisan differences on how important the various aspects of being a good citizen are. For example, while most people believe that voting and paying taxes are very important aspects of being a good citizen, only half of those surveyed say that displaying the American flag is very important. In addition, only a quarter of those surveyed believe that the most important aspect of being a good citizen is working to make their community better.