BSA Citizenship in the Nation

1. Citizenship in the Nation
Merit Badge
Version 4 August 2020

2. Index
1. Merit Badge Requirements
2. Merit Badge Intro
3. Constitution
4. Government
5. Field Trip
6. Current National Events
7. Important Speech
8. Contact an Elected Official
9. Final Thoughts
10.Resources
11.Instructor’s Corner
12.Citizenship

3. Copyright Notice
This presentation is protected by US and International copyright laws.
Reproduction and distribution of this presentation without written
permission of the sponsor is prohibited.
© 2022
3

4. Copyright Notice
Do NOT post or upload copies of this
presentation on the WEB!
4

5. Disclaimer
This PowerPoint slideshow was designed to be used to prepare scouts for
the Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge and nothing more.
Examples used and opinions shared do not reflect policies of the BSA, your
local council or any other person or entity related to this presentation.
5

6. Merit Badge
Requirements

7. Requirements
Requirements
• Merit Badge requirements are taken from:
2022 Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge Pamphlet
7

8. Requirements
Requirements
1. What is the Constitution of the United States? What does the
Constitution do? What principles does it reflect? Why is it important to
have a Constitution?
2. List the six purposes for creating the United States Constitution set forth
in the Preamble to the Constitution. How do these purposes affect your
family and community?
8

9. Requirements
Requirements
3. List the three branches of the United States government. Explain:
a. The function of each branch of government
b. Why it is important to divide powers among different branches
c. How each branch "checks" and "balances" the others
d. How citizens can be involved in each branch of government.
4. Discuss the importance of:
a. Declaration of Independence
b. The Bill of Rights (the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution) and
the 14th Amendment
c. The traditional United States motto “E Pluribus Unum.”
9

10. Requirements
Requirements
5. Watch the national evening news for five days in a row or read the main
stories in a national media organization (e.g., a newspaper or news
website) for five days in a row. Discuss the national issues that you
learned about with your counselor. Choose one issue and explain how it
affects you, your family, and community.
10

11. Requirements
Requirements
6. With your counselor’s approval, choose a speech of national historical
importance. Explain:
a. Who the author was
b. What the historical context was
c. What difficulties the nation faced that the author wished to discuss
d. What the author said
e. Why the speech is important to the nation’s history.
Choose a sentence or two from the speech that has significant meaning
to you, and tell your counselor why.
11

12. Requirements
Requirements
7. Do TWO of the following:
a. Visit a place that is listed as a National Historic Landmark or that is on the
National Register of Historic Places. Tell your counselor what you learned about
the landmark or site and what you found interesting about it.
b. Tour your state capitol building or the U.S. Capitol. Tell your counselor what you
learned about the capitol, its function, and the history.
c. Tour a federal facility. Explain to your counselor what you saw there and what
you learned about its function in the local community and how it serves this
nation.
d. Choose a national monument that interests you. Using books, brochures, the
internet (with your parent’s permission), and other resources, find out more
about the monument. Tell your counselor what you learned, and explain why the
monument is important to this country’s citizens.
12

13. Requirements
Requirements
8. Name your representatives in the United States Congress. Write a letter
to your representative in Congress explaining your views on a national
issue. Show your letter, along with any response you might receive, to
your counselor.
13

14. Merit Badge
Intro

15. Merit Badge Intro
Instructor Introduction
15

16. Merit Badge Intro
Needed for Course
• Merit Badge Blue Card filled out and signed by your Scoutmaster
o or other virtual agreement
• Merit Badge Pamphlet
• Scout Uniform
• A positive Scouting focus and attitude
16

17. Merit Badge Intro
Virtual Meetings
• Use your REAL Name and Troop Number if you want credit
This is how we take attendance
• MUTE yourself unless speaking to the group
• Please turn your video on so we can see you
• No Chat SPAMMING
• If you need to go pee, go
• If something isn’t working, please let us know!
17

18. Merit Badge Intro
Virtual Meetings
• We can’t do ALL the requirements virtually
• Option 1 – Partial Completion
• Option 2 – Completion – need proof
• Please send completed homework
AFTER the final class
• Tell us who we should CC about completion
18

19. Merit Badge Intro
Course Overview
• We will cover most of the requirements for this Merit Badge in class
• We need proof that you completed these requirements
o Please turn in a completed worksheet if possible
This makes is easier on the counselor
o If you can’t complete a worksheet, please
contact your councilor for alternatives
19

20. Merit Badge Intro
Merit Badge Requirement Checklist
 Show completion of work
Ideally - Turn in complete worksheet
 Req 1 – Constitution
 Req 2 – Preamble to the Constitution
 Req 3 – 3 Branches of Government
 Req 4 – Important Documents
 Req 5 – National News
 Req 6 – Important Speech
 Req 7 – Field Trip
 Req 8 – Contact an Elected Official
 Turn in complete worksheet
20

21. Merit Badge Intro
What is Citizenship in the Nation
• What does this even have to do with Scouting?
21

22. Constitution

23. Requirement
Requirement 1
What is the Constitution of the United States?
What does the Constitution do?
What principles does it reflect?
Why is it important to have a Constitution?
23

24. Requirement
Requirement 4
Discuss the importance of:
a. Declaration of Independence
b. The Bill of Rights (the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution) and
the 14th Amendment
c. The traditional United States motto “E Pluribus Unum.”
24

25. Constitution
25
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvOZs3g3qIo
SchoolHouse Rock - No More Kings

26. Constitution
Declaration of Independence
Pronouncement adopted by the Second
Continental Congress on July 4, 1776
26
wiki/File:United_States_Declaration_of_Independence.jpg

27. Constitution
Declaration of Independence
Enacted during the American Revolution
Declaration to Great Britain of statehood and independence
• Thirteen independent sovereign states
• No longer under British rule
• Collective first step in forming the United States of America
27
wiki/File:United_States_Declaration_of_Independence.jpg

28. Constitution
“E Pluribus Unum”
"Out of many, one"
28
Image: Great Seal of the United States

29. Constitution
“E Pluribus Unum” - 13-letter motto
out of the union of the original
Thirteen Colonies emerged a new single nation
29
Image: Great Seal of the United States

30. Constitution
30
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnVmIrAiQB8
SchoolHouse Rock - The Constitution

31. Constitution
Preamble to the Constitution
31
wiki/File:Constitution_of_the_United_States,_page_1.jpg
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure
domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings
of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of
America.

32. Constitution
Preamble to the Constitution
• Brief introductory statement of the Constitution’s
o Fundamental purposes
o Guiding principles
• Courts have referred to it as evidence of the Founding Fathers'
intentions regarding the Constitution's meaning and what they hoped
the Constitution would achieve
32
wiki/File:Constitution_of_the_United_States,_page_1.jpg

33. Constitution
33
wiki/File:Constitution_of_the_United_States,_page_1.jpg
The Constitution
Created
Presented
Ratified
Date effective
September 17, 1787
September 28, 1787
June 21, 1788
March 4, 1789
Supreme Law of the
United States of America

34. Constitution
34
wiki/File:Constitution_of_the_United_States,_page_1.jpg
The Constitution
Preamble to the Constitution
• The Preamble
Articles of the Constitution
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch
Relationships Between the States
Amending the Constitution
Prior Debts, National Supremacy, and Oaths of Office
• Article I
• Article II
• Article III
• Article IV
• Article V
• Article VI
• Article VII Ratification

35. Constitution
35
wiki/File:Constitution_of_the_United_States,_page_1.jpg
The Constitution
Article I, Article II, Article III
• First three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers
• Federal government is divided into three branches
o the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress
o the executive, consisting of the president and subordinate officers
o the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts

36. Constitution
36
wiki/File:Constitution_of_the_United_States,_page_1.jpg
The Constitution
Article IV
• Relationships Between the States
Article V
• Amending the Constitution
Article VI
• Prior Debts, National Supremacy, and Oaths of Office
Article VII
• Establishes procedure subsequently used by the 13 States to ratify

37. Constitution
Bill of Rights
Created
Ratified
September 25, 1789
December 15, 1791
Update to the Constitution
Limitation of Federal power over citizens
37
wiki/File:Bill_of_Rights_Pg1of1_AC.jpg

38. Constitution
Bill of Rights
• First 10 Amendments add to the Constitution
o Specific guarantees of personal freedoms and rights
o Clear limitations on the government's power in judicial proceedings
o Powers not specifically granted to the federal government by the
Constitution are reserved to the states or the people
38
wiki/File:Bill_of_Rights_Pg1of1_AC.jpg

39. Constitution
Bill of Rights
39
wiki/File:Bill_of_Rights_Pg1of1_AC.jpg
• First Amendment
• Second Amendment
• Third Amendment
• Fourth Amendment
• Fifth Amendment
• Sixth Amendment
Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition
Bearing and Keeping Arms
Quartering Soldiers
Search and Seizure
Grand Jury, Double Jeopardy, Self Incrimination, Due Process
Rights of Those Charged in Criminal Prosecutions
• Seventh Amendment Civil Trial Rights
• Eighth Amendment
• Ninth Amendment
• Tenth Amendment
Excessive Bail and Fines, and Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Unenumerated Rights
Rights Reserved to the States and to the People

40. Constitution
Amendments to the Constitution
• Includes the Bill or Rights (first 10 amendments)
• Total of 27 amendments
40

41. 41
• First Amendment
• Second Amendment
• Third Amendment
• Fourth Amendment
• Fifth Amendment
• Sixth Amendment
• Seventh Amendment
• Eighth Amendment
• Ninth Amendment
• Tenth Amendment
• Eleventh Amendment
• Twelfth Amendment
• Thirteenth Amendment
• Fourteenth Amendment
• Fifteenth Amendment
• Sixteenth Amendment
• Seventeenth Amendment
• Eighteenth Amendment
• Nineteenth Amendment
• Twentieth Amendment
• Twenty-First Amendment
• Twenty-Second Amendment
• Twenty-Third Amendment
• Twenty-Fourth Amendment
• Twenty-Fifth Amendment
• Twenty-Sixth Amendment
• Twenty-Seventh Amendment
Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition
Bearing and Keeping Arms
Quartering Soldiers
Search and Seizure
Grand Jury, Double Jeopardy, Self Incrimination, Due Process, Takings
Rights of Those Charged in Criminal Prosecutions
Civil Trial Rights
Excessive Bail and Fines, and Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Unenumerated Rights
Rights Reserved to the States and to the People
Suits Against States
Election of President
Abolition of Slavery
Citizenship, Equal Protection, and Other Post-Civil War Provisions
Right of Citizens to Vote
Income Tax
Popular Election of Senators
Prohibition of Liquor
Women's Suffrage Rights
Presidential Term and Succession
Repeal of Prohibition
Presidential Term Limits
Presidential Electors for District of Columbia
Abolition of the Poll Taxes
Presidential Vacancy and Disability
Reduction of Voting Age
Congressional Compensation

42. 42
• First Amendment
• Second Amendment
• Third Amendment
• Fourth Amendment
• Fifth Amendment
• Sixth Amendment
• Seventh Amendment
• Eighth Amendment
• Ninth Amendment
• Tenth Amendment
• Eleventh Amendment
• Twelfth Amendment
• Thirteenth Amendment
Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition
Bearing and Keeping Arms
Quartering Soldiers
Search and Seizure
Grand Jury, Double Jeopardy, Self Incrimination, Due Process, Takings
Rights of Those Charged in Criminal Prosecutions
Civil Trial Rights
Excessive Bail and Fines, and Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Unenumerated Rights
Rights Reserved to the States and to the People
Suits Against States
Election of President
Abolition of Slavery
• Fourteenth Amendment Citizenship, Equal Protection, and Other Post-Civil War Provisions
• Fifteenth Amendment
• Sixteenth Amendment
• Seventeenth Amendment
• Eighteenth Amendment
• Nineteenth Amendment
• Twentieth Amendment
• Twenty-First Amendment
• Twenty-Second Amendment
• Twenty-Third Amendment
• Twenty-Fourth Amendment
• Twenty-Fifth Amendment
• Twenty-Sixth Amendment
• Twenty-Seventh Amendment
Right of Citizens to Vote
Income Tax
Popular Election of Senators
Prohibition of Liquor
Women's Suffrage Rights
Presidential Term and Succession
Repeal of Prohibition
Presidential Term Limits
Presidential Electors for District of Columbia
Abolition of the Poll Taxes
Presidential Vacancy and Disability
Reduction of Voting Age
Congressional Compensation

43. Constitution
Amendments to the Constitution – Amendment XIV
Section 1.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the
jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state
wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor
shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due
process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.
43

44. Constitution
Amendments to the Constitution – Amendment XIV
Section 2.
Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to
their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state,
excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the
choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States,
Representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers of a state, or the
members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of
such state, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or
in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the
basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the
number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens
twenty-one years of age in such state.
44

45. Constitution
Amendments to the Constitution – Amendment XIV
Section 3.
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of
President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the
United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as
a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a
member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of
any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have
engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or
comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds
of each House, remove such disability.
45

46. Constitution
Amendments to the Constitution – Amendment XIV
Section 4.
The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law,
including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services
in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But
neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or
obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United
States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such
debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
46

47. Constitution
Amendments to the Constitution – Amendment XIV
Section 5.
The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the
provisions of this article.
47

48. Constitution
Amendments to the Constitution – Amendment XIV
Number of important concepts, most famously (Section One)
• State action
• Privileges & immunities
• Citizenship
• Due process
• Equal protection
48

49. Constitution
Amendments to the Constitution – Amendment XIV
Number of important concepts, most famously (Section One)
• State action - state cannot make or enforce any law that abridges the
privileges or immunities of any citizen
• Privileges & immunities – Protection of interstate travel
• Citizenship – US & state citizenship to all born in the United States
• Due process – state must respect all legal rights that are owed to a person
• Equal protection - individuals in similar situations treated equally by the law
49

50. Constitution
Amendments to the Constitution – Amendment XIV
Number of important concepts, most famously (Section One)
• Section Two - apportionment of representatives to Congress
Penalizes states that denied voting to males 21+ (other for than crime)
• Section Three - participates in “insurrection or rebellion” against the
United States shall not hold federal office
• Section Four – repudiation of debts accrued by the Confederacy and
federal debt for services against insurrection are sacrosanct
• Section Five - expressly authorizes Congress to enforce the Fourteenth
Amendment “by appropriate legislation.”
50

51. Requirement
Requirement 1
What is the Constitution of the United States?
What does the Constitution do?
What principles does it reflect?
Why is it important to have a Constitution?
51

52. Government

53. Requirement
Requirement 2
List the six purposes for creating the United States Constitution set forth in
the Preamble to the Constitution.
How do these purposes affect your family and community?
53

54. Government
Six Functions of Government
Preamble to the Constitution
54
wiki/File:Constitution_of_the_United_States,_page_1.jpg
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure
domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings
of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of
America.

55. Government
Six Functions of Government
1. Form a more perfect Union
2. Establish Justice
3. Insure domestic Tranquility
4. Provide for the common defense
5. Promote the general Welfare
6. Secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.
55

56. Requirement
Requirement 3
List the three branches of the United States government. Explain:
a. The function of each branch of government
b. Why it is important to divide powers among different branches
c. How each branch "checks" and "balances" the others
d. How citizens can be involved in each branch of government.
56

57. Historic Documents
Three Branches of Government
57
wiki/File:Constitution_of_the_United_States,_page_1.jpg
• Article I
• Article II
• Article III
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch

58. Government
58
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9Z2ptwrQfc
SchoolHouse Rock - The Constitution

59. Government
Three Branches of Government – Legislative Branch
The legislative branch is made up of the House and Senate, known
collectively as the Congress
Among other powers, the legislative branch
• Makes all laws
• Declares war
• Regulates interstate and foreign commerce
• Controls taxing and spending policies
59
www.house.gov/the-house-explained/branches-of-government

60. Government
Three Branches of Government – Legislative Branch
The Congress is made up of the House and Senate
60
House of Representatives
Based on Population
Senate
2 Senators per State

61. Government
Three Branches of Government – Executive Branch
The executive branch consists of the President, his or her advisors and
various departments and agencies
This branch is responsible for enforcing the laws of the land.
61
www.house.gov/the-house-explained/branches-of-government

62. Government
Three Branches of Government – Judicial Branch
The judicial branch consists of the U.S. Supreme Court and the Federal
Judicial Center.
According to the Constitution, "[t]he judicial Power of the United States,
shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the
Congress may from time to time ordain and establish."
The Federal Judicial Center is the education and research agency for the
federal courts.
www.house.gov/the-house-explained/branches-of-government
62

63. Government
63
Legislative Branch
Executive Branch
Judicial Branch
Declare Laws
Unconstitutional
Appoint/Impeach Judges

64. Current National Events

65. Requirement
Requirement 5
Watch the national evening news for five days in a row or read the main
stories in a national media organization (e.g., a newspaper or news
website) for five days in a row.
Discuss the national issues that you learned about with your counselor.
Choose one issue and explain how it affects you, your family, and
community.
65

66. Current National Events
National Evening News
• ABC World News
• CBS Evening News
• NBC Nightly News
66

67. Important Speech

68. Requirement
Requirement 6
With your counselor’s approval, choose a speech of national historical
importance. Explain:
a. Who the author was
b. What the historical context was
c. What difficulties the nation faced that the author wished to discuss
d. What the author said
e. Why the speech is important to the nation’s history.
Choose a sentence or two from the speech that has significant meaning
to you, and tell your counselor why.
68

69. Gettysburg Address
President Abraham Lincoln
November 19, 1863
4.5 months following
Battle of Gettysburg
69
Image Sources: Zhaladshar wiki/File:Haycopy-1.jpg wiki/File:Haycopy-2.jpg

70. Gettysburg Address
President Abraham Lincoln
November 19, 1863
President Lincoln is known for
• American lawyer and statesman
• 16th president of the United States
• Led the nation through the American Civil War
• Succeeded in
o Preserving the Union
o Abolishing slavery
o Bolstering the federal government
o Modernizing the U.S. economy
70

71. Gettysburg Address
President Abraham Lincoln
November 19, 1863
71
President Lincoln described the US as a nation
"conceived in Liberty,
and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,"

72. Gettysburg Address
President Abraham Lincoln
November 19, 1863
72
Honored the sacrifices of those who died at Gettysburg
in defense of those principles
“that these dead shall not have died in vain—
that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—
and that government of the people, by the people, for the people,
shall not perish from the earth”

73. Important Speech
Important Historical Speech
• Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in which he calls for
an end to segregation and racial discrimination
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s speech one day after the bombing of Pearl
Harbor, asking Congress to declare war on Japan
• Ronald Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” speech that challenged
Communist leaders to end the Cold War and foster peace between
West and East Germany
• List of American Speeches
73

74. Field Trip

75. Requirement
Requirement 7
7. Do TWO of the following:
a. Visit a place that is listed as a National Historic Landmark or that is on the
National Register of Historic Places. Tell your counselor what you learned about
the landmark or site and what you found interesting about it.
b. Tour your state capitol building or the U.S. Capitol. Tell your counselor what you
learned about the capitol, its function, and the history.
c. Tour a federal facility. Explain to your counselor what you saw there and what
you learned about its function in the local community and how it serves this
nation.
d. Choose a national monument that interests you. Using books, brochures, the
internet (with your parent’s permission), and other resources, find out more
about the monument. Tell your counselor what you learned, and explain why the
monument is important to this country’s citizens.
75

76. Field Trip
National Historic Landmark—a particular site, structure, or object of
national importance (Vietnam Veterans Memorial)
National Monument—an area preserved for its historic, prehistoric, or
scientific interest that includes at least one resource of national
importance (Fort Sumter National Monument)
National Historic Site—a place of national historical significance, usually
with a single primary feature (Ford’s Theatre)
National Historical Park—a larger, more complex area than a National
Historic Site, it includes several areas and features of national historical
importance (Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia)
76

77. Field Trip
Requirement 2a - National Historic Landmark
Visit a place that is listed as a National Historic Landmark or that is on the
National Register of Historic Places.
Tell your counselor what you learned about the landmark or site and what
you found interesting about it.
77

78. Field Trip
National Historic Landmark
List of National Historic Landmarks by State
78

79. Field Trip
National Historic Landmark
National Register of Historic Places
79

80. Field Trip
Requirement 2b – Visit to Capital
Tour your state capitol building or the U.S. Capitol.
Tell your counselor what you learned about the capitol, its function, and
the history.
80

81. Field Trip
Requirement 2c – Federal Facility
Tour a federal facility.
Explain to your counselor what you saw there and what you learned about
its function in the local community and how it serves this nation.
81

82. Field Trip
Federal Facility
• US Federal Government Resources: Departments and Agencies
• Federal Agencies in Washington State
• Federal Buildings in Washington State
o Henry M. Jackson Federal Building - Seattle
• Federal Courthouses in Washington
o United States Courthouse - Seattle
• List of United States federal prisons
o Federal Detention Center, SeaTac
• Federal Military Bases
• FBI Field Offices
• VA Puget Sound Health Care
• Post Offices
82

83. Field Trip
Requirement 2d – National Monument
Choose a national monument that interests you. Using books, brochures,
the internet (with your parent’s permission), and other resources, find out
more about the monument.
Tell your counselor what you learned, and explain why the monument is
important to this country’s citizens.
83

84. Field Trip
National Monument
List of National Monuments of the United States
84

85. Contact an Elected Official

86. Requirement
Requirement 8
Name your representatives in the United States Congress.
Write a letter to your representative in Congress explaining your views on
a national issue.
Show your letter, along with any response you might receive, to your
counselor.
86

87. Contact an Elected Official
Senators
Each state in the United States elects two senators.
This allows for equal representation regardless of the State’s size or
population.
Senators serve six-year terms with staggered elections.
87
www.govtrack.us/congress/members/WA#senators

88. Contact an Elected Official
Senators (Washington State)
88
Retrieved Dec 2021: www.congress.gov/members
Patty Murray Maria Cantwell

89. Contact an Elected Official
Representatives
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts (see map)
Each district has a population of about 710,000 individuals.
Each district elects a representative (congressmen/congresswomen) to the
House of Representatives for a two-year term.
Americans in the United States’ six territories are represented in the
House of Representatives by an additional six non-voting delegates.
89
www.govtrack.us/congress/members/WA#representatives

90. Contact an Elected Official
Representatives (Washington State)
90
Retrieved Dec 2021: www.congress.gov/members
Suzan DelBene
District: 1
Cathy McMorris
Rodgers
District: 5
Jaime
Herrera Beutler
District: 3
Dan Newhouse,
District: 4
Pramila Jayapal
District: 7
Kim Schrier
District: 8
Derek Kilmer
District: 6
Adam Smith
District: 9
Rick Larsen
District: 2
Marilyn Strickland
District: 10

91. Contact an Elected Official
Contact a Senator or Representative
Senators
• www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
Representatives
• www.house.gov/representatives
91

92. Contact an Elected Official
Write an Effective Letter
• Address the official using his or her correct title
o U.S. Senator
 The address: The Honorable John Smith
 The greeting: Dear Senator Smith:
o Member of the House of Representatives
 The address: The Honorable Mary Doe
 The greeting: Dear Ms. Doe:
92

93. Contact an Elected Official
Write an Effective Letter
• Identify yourself and your reasons for writing the letter
• Refer to a specific bill by number or name, if applicable
• Explain
o Briefly, rationally and politely
o why are you concerned about the issue?
• Send your letter before the bill is brought to the floor or while your
representative can still do something about your concern
• Request a response and include your return address
93

94. Final Thoughts

95. Final Thoughts
Merit Badge Requirement Checklist
 Show completion of work
Ideally - Turn in complete worksheet
 Req 1 – Constitution
 Req 2 – Preamble to the Constitution
 Req 3 – 3 Branches of Government
 Req 4 – Important Documents
 Req 5 – National News
 Req 6 – Important Speech
 Req 7 – Field Trip
 Req 8 – Contact an Elected Official
 Turn in complete worksheet
95

96. Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
• Our Nation was built and shaped by those in it
• You impact the success or failure of your Nation
• Participate
• Be a good Citizen
96

97. Final Thoughts
Looking for More?
• Merit Badge Pamphlet is a great resource
97

98. Resources

99. Resources
Resources - Books
• Feinberg, Barbara Silberdick. The Articles of Confederation: The First
Constitution of the United States. Twenty-First Century Books, 2002.
• Freedman, Russell. Give Me Liberty! The Story of the Declaration of Independence. Holiday House,
2002.
• Jaffe, Steven H. Who Were the Founding Fathers? Two Hundred Years of Reinventing American
History. Henry Holt and Co., 1996.
• Kassinger, Ruth. U.S. Census: A Mirror of America. Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers, 1999.
• Krull, Kathleen. A Kid’s Guide to America’s Bill of Rights: Curfews, Censorship, and the 100-Pound
Giant. HarperCollins, 2015.
• Mackintosh, Barry. The National Park Service. Chelsea House Publishers, 1988.
• Maestro, Betty. A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution. HarperCollins, 2008.
99

100. Resources
Resources - Books
• McHugh, Erin. National Parks: A Kid’s Guide to America’s Parks, Monuments, and Landmarks. Black
Dog & Leventhal, 2012.
• McIntire, Suzanne, ed. The American Heritage Book of Great American Speeches for Young People.
John Wiley & Sons, 2001.
• Panchyk, Richard. Keys to American History: Understanding Our Most Important Historic Documents.
Chicago Review Press, 2009.
• Selzer, Adam. The Smart Aleck’s Guide to American History. Delacorte Press, 2009.
• Zeinert, Karen. Free Speech: From Newspapers to Music Lyrics. Enslow Publishers, 1995.
100

101. Resources
Resources - Organizations and Websites
101
American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad St., 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Telephone: 212-549-2500
Website: www.aclu.org
Congress.gov
Website: www.congress.gov
Democratic National Committee
Telephone: 202-863-8000
Website: www.democrats.org
U.S. House of Representatives
Telephone: 202-224-3121
Website: www.house.gov
League of Women Voters
Telephone: 202-429-1965
Website: www.lwv.org
National Constitution Center
Independence Mall
525 Arch St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Telephone: 215-409-6600
Website: www.constitutioncenter.org
National Park Service
1849 C St. NW
Washington, DC 20240
Telephone: 202-208-6843
Website: www.nps.gov

102. Resources
Resources - Organizations and Websites
102
Republican National Committee
Telephone: 202-863-8500
Website: www.gop.com
U.S. Census Bureau
4600 Silver Hill Road
Washington, DC 20233
Telephone: 301-763-4636
Website: www.census.gov
The U.S. Constitution Online
Website: www.usconstitution.net
U.S. Government Publishing Office
Telephone: 202-512-1800
Website: www.gpo.gov
GovSpot
Website: www.govspot.com
U.S. Senate
Telephone: 202-224-3121
Website: www.senate.gov
U.S. Supreme Court
Telephone: 202-479-3000
Website: www.supremecourt.gov
USA.gov
Website: www.usa.gov
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Telephone: 202-456-1414
Website: www.whitehouse.gov

103. Instructor’s Corner

104. Instructor’s Corner
Instructor’s Corner
• Thank you for teaching our scouts the Citizenship in the Nation Merit
Badge.
104

105. Instructor’s Corner
Instructor’s Corner
• www.hmns.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Citizenship-in-the-
Nation-Merit-Badge-Prerequisite-Workbook.pdf sample letter for scout
• www.hac.homescouting.org/nov-scouts-bsa
105

106. Instructor’s Corner
106
www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6jgWxkbR7A
Democracy - A short introduction

107. Instructor’s Corner
107
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIO-7dFz2JU
The Declaration of Independence for Kids

108. Instructor’s Corner
108
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvOZs3g3qIo
SchoolHouse Rock - No More Kings

109. Instructor’s Corner
109
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ikO6LMxF4
SchoolHouse Rock - Shot Heard Round the World America Rock

110. Instructor’s Corner
110
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnVmIrAiQB8
SchoolHouse Rock - The Constitution

111. Instructor’s Corner
111
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9Z2ptwrQfc
SchoolHouse Rock - The Constitution

112. Instructor’s Corner
112
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgVKvqTItto
Schoolhouse Rock - I'm Just a Bill

113. Instructor’s Corner
113
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByiogRyb6Ds
Schoolhouse Rock - I'm Gonna Send your Vote to College

114. Instructor’s Corner
114
www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9vTx79Xp_w
Schoolhouse Rock - Vote for the President

115. Instructor’s Corner
115
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs2w4lwQRtc
Schoolhouse Rock - Elbow Room- Manifest Destiny

116. Instructor’s Corner
116
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGHGDO_b_q0
Schoolhouse Rock - Sufferin Till Suffrage

117. Citizenship in the
Nation

118. Citizenship in the Nation
Requirement 1 (pre 2022 MB Requirement)
Explain what citizenship in the nation means and what it takes to be a
good citizen of this country.
Discuss the rights, duties, and obligations of a responsible and active
American citizen.
118

119. Citizenship in the Nation
US Citizenship
How one becomes a citizen in the United States
• You were born in the United States or a territory of the United States
• At least one of your parents a U.S. citizen
• You may qualify for naturalization
119

120. Citizenship in the Nation
US Citizenship
• You may qualify for naturalization
o at least 18 years
o permanent resident for at least 5 years
(or 3 years if you are married to a U.S. citizen)
o Prepare and Submit an Application for Naturalization
o Biometrics for FBI background check
o Complete the interview
• Pass English test
• Pass Civics test
o Take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States
120

121. Citizenship in the Nation
US Citizenship - Rights
• Freedom of speech and expression
• Freedom to worship as you wish
• Right to a prompt, fair trial by jury
• Right to vote in elections for public officials
• Right to apply for federal employment requiring U.S. citizenship
• Right to run for elected office
• Freedom to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
121
10 Steps to Naturalization

122. Citizenship in the Nation
US Citizenship - Duties
• Making yourself aware of all federal, state, and local laws
• Following all laws and regulations in good faith
• If you witness any crimes, reporting what you’ve seen to the authorities
• Serve on a jury when called upon
• Paying all of your taxes honestly and in a timely manner
• Defend the country if the need should arise
• Voting in local, state, and federal elections to strengthen our
democracy
122
10 Steps to Naturalization

123. Citizenship in the Nation
US Citizenship - Obligations
• Support and defend the U.S. Constitution
• Stay informed of the issues affecting your community
• Participate in the democratic process
• Respect and obey federal, state, and local laws
• Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others
• Participate in your local community
123
10 Steps to Naturalization