Sometimes we think little about the meaning of the word. And sometimes it is so necessary to do so! And if they suddenly ask you to quickly, in the summer give a definition: “A citizen of the state is ...”, not everyone can 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, enjoy legal privileges and fulfill obligations legally established. Within the framework defined by the legislation of the state, a capable individual must fulfill certain requirements, but he also has freedom. So, it turns out, between citizens and the state there are mutual requirements and guarantees of their implementation. Consider the legal field of this relationship. Obviously, the citizens of a particular country are legally different from foreign citizens and people without any citizenship who are on the land of this state. Simply put, their rights and responsibilities are different.
Legally, the definition “citizen is ...” is used to distinguish people who are in legal relations with the state, distinguishing them from individuals who are simply located in the territory of this country. Recall that to designate any person located within a certain state, regardless of his citizenship, there is the term "individual". The advantage of citizens over individuals is enshrined in law.
Political meaning
In a political context, a citizen is a person who has a sense of duty, responsibility for the people, their homeland. He seeks to disinterestedly participate in public and state affairs, of course, without leaving the legal field enshrined in law. A synonym for this word is a patriot, a man who wholeheartedly cares for the interests of the country, people, community, ready for sacrifices for the Fatherland.
Citizen is an honorary title
In this context, the word is used to denote people respected by society and the state. There is an honorary citizen of a certain area: city, district, country. A person who is not legally a citizen of the state can also be awarded this title for special services to him.
History
The foundations of democracy and state law were laid back in ancient Greece by residents of large settlements. People living in cities (polites) had rights to influence state policy. In ancient Rome, a free citizen is a resident of Rome, then other cities of Italy. Citizen (England), citoyen (France) - all these words come from "city" in one or another language of Europe. The origin of the word “citizen” in Russia is from the Old Slavonic “behind the fence, in the city”. Different from the “city dwellers”, it was used to designate a resident with some rights. In the tsarist empire, in order to identify a person living in a city, in contrast to a peasant living in a village. In pre-revolutionary Russia, a word implying equal rights takes on an anti-monarchical meaning, contrasting itself with the term “subject”, meaning lawlessness. It becomes generally accepted appeal "citizen" instead of "sir" or "lord". In the USSR, this word sounds in an official speech, along with the word "comrade", but it acquires the meaning of a certain alienation of those communicating. The official “citizen” emphasizes a certain distance, while the “comrade” emphasizes the principles of equality.
Rights and obligations
So, the polysemy of this word implies a constant connection of a person with his country. The state gives citizens - whatever they may be - 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, or maybe not. 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 entrepreneurial and any other activity 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 duties of a citizen are both a duty to protect the homeland and a duty to comply with laws legally established in the country.
Under current laws, a citizen of the Russian Federation is primarily an individual born in the country. Capable persons who have reached the age of eighteen years are also issued citizenship. A person who holds a residence permit for at least five years and who has not left the territory of the Russian Federation for a period of more than ninety days is also given citizenship. At the moment, the rules for obtaining it have been simplified for refugees, students, foreigners who have contributed to the development of the country, as well as if one of the parents has Russian citizenship. It is simplified even if your spouse already has Russian citizenship. And also for residents of the former USSR and WWII veterans.