A citizen is an honorable duty

We sometimes ponder little over the meaning of the word. And sometimes it's so necessary to do it! And if they suddenly ask you to give a quick definition, "A citizen of the state is ...", not everyone will be able to immediately answer this important question. Let's try to restore justice. Today the term "citizen" is certainly ambiguous.

Legal meaning

A citizen is an entity that has a certain legal relationship with a particular state. This allows him to exist in the legal field of a given country, to enjoy legal privileges and to perform duties legally established. Within the limits determined by the legislation of the state, a legal person must fulfill certain requirements, but he has freedoms. So, it turns out, mutual claims and guarantees of their execution arise between citizens and the state. Consider the legal field of these relationships. It is obvious that citizens of a particular country are legally different from foreign citizens and persons without any citizenship who are on the ground of this state. Simply put, their rights and responsibilities are different.

Legally, the definition of "citizen is ..." is used to distinguish people who are in legal connection with the state, distinguishing them from individuals simply located in the territory of a given country. Recall that to refer to any person who is within a certain state, regardless of his citizenship, there is the term "physical person". Advantage of citizens to individuals is enshrined in legislation.

Political sense

In a political context, a citizen is a person who has a sense of duty, responsibility for the people, his homeland. He seeks to participate unselfishly in public and state affairs, of course, without leaving the legal field fixed by law. The synonym for this word is a patriot, a man who is whole-hearted for the interests of the country, people, community, ready to sacrifice for the sake of the Fatherland.

A citizen is an honorary title

In this context, the word is used to refer to people who are respected by society and the state. There is an honorary citizen of a certain locality: a city, a district, a country. Assign this title to a person who is not legally a citizen of the state, for special services before it.

History

The foundations of democracy and state law were laid in ancient Greece by the inhabitants of large settlements. People living in cities (polites) had the rights, allowing to influence a policy of the state. In ancient Rome, a free citizen is a resident of Rome, then of other Italian cities. Citizen (England), citoyen (France) - all these words come from the "city" in one or another language of Europe. The origin of the word "citizen" in Rus - from the Old Slavonic "beyond the fence, in the city." Different from the "townspeople", it was used to refer to having some kind of rights resident. In the tsarist empire - in order to determine the person living in the city, unlike the peasant living in the village. In prerevolutionary Russia, the word that presupposes equality, acquires an antimonarchical meaning, opposing itself to the term "subject", meaningless. It is generally accepted that a "citizen" is used instead of "sir" or "lord". In the USSR, this word sounds in official speech, along with the word "comrade", but acquires the meaning of some alienation of communicating people. The official "citizen" emphasizes a certain distance, whereas "comrade" - the principles of equality.

Rights and obligations

So, the ambiguity of this word implies a constant connection of a person with his country. The state gives citizens - whatever they are - equal rights. It undertakes to protect them. Any person, born in the territory of the state, automatically acquires all the rights of a citizen - potentially. That is, he can use them, and maybe not. The legal capacity ceases with the death of a person and is recognized equally for all citizens without exception. It implies rights:

• Inherit, bequeath property;
• Engage in business and any other activities not prohibited by law;
• Choose a place to live;
• Have copyrights to inventions and works of literature, art, science;
• Have other property and non-property rights.

In turn, giving such privileges, the state requires something in return. The duty of a citizen is also a duty to protect the Motherland, and the obligation to comply with laws legally established in the country.

Under current laws, a Russian citizen is first and foremost an individual born in the territory of the country. Persons with legal capacity who have reached the age of eighteen are also issued citizenship. A person who has a residence permit for at least five years and who has not left the territory of the Russian Federation for more than ninety days, is also given citizenship. At the moment, the rules for obtaining it for refugees, students, foreigners who contributed to the development of the country are simplified, and also if one of the parents has Russian citizenship. It is also simplified if your spouse already has Russian citizenship. And also for the residents of the former USSR and WWII veterans.