politics
Birthright citizenship isn't about equality. It's about consent
America has always been more than a place on the map. It is a political community — a people united by common principles and institutions rather than merely by geography. That simple proposition has important implications for one of today’s most contentious constitutional debates: birthright citizenship.
TL;DR
- America is a political community defined by common principles and institutions, not solely by geography.
- The debate over birthright citizenship and the 14th Amendment concerns belonging to the American political community.
- The Declaration of Independence highlights the existence of a distinct political people with the authority to establish governments and determine membership.