Differences Between Citizenship & Nationality
The terms citizenship and nationality are often used interchangeably in the United States because nationality is commonly meant to define state citizenship. Because the U.S. is considered to have nation states, the citizenship levels that apply at the state level also apply at the national level. These terms enter the gray areas within politics as they are used interchangeably even though they are different.
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Nationality
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A person's nationality can stand for a number of things. Nationality can be used to determine the nation in which a person is a citizen. It can also be used to define your ancestry. For example, if your ancestors are German, you would be considered to be of German nationality. Nationality can also be used to describe a membership to a particular religion or culture. Therefore, if you are of German ancestry and a Taoist, then according to nationality, you would be labeled a German Taoist. Nationality is permanent as it describes traits that you had from birth.
Citizenship
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Citizenship refers to one's membership to a particular country. This means that if you are a citizen of a country, by the established law, your government owes you certain rights and protection. However, citizens are also required by law to perform certain duties for the government. For example, within the United States, all citizens are required to pay taxes yearly. Citizenship to a country can be changed if you decide to move between countries.
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Residency
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Residency can also be confused between the two. Residence refers to the country in which you spend the most time throughout the year. You can be considered to hold residence in multiple countries if you are dividing your time frequently. Residency is not permanent; if you decide to sell a property or to stop living in a country, then your residency changes.
Misconceptions
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People often misconstrue these terms as they are often used interchangeably. The three terms are very different as they each denote a certain aspect of your life. The terms also have gray areas between countries as every government and country varies in policy.
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References
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