Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge

Overview

Eagle required

As Scouts fulfill the requirements for this merit badge, they will learn how to become active citizens are aware of and grateful for their liberties and rights, to participate in their governments and protect their freedom, helping to defend their country and standing up for individual rights on behalf of all its citizens.

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?

Resources: Creating the Constitution (video), What Is Federalism? | Things Explained (video), Walkthrough of the Constitution | Constitution 101 (video), The Bill of Rights (video)
(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?

Resources: What Does the Preamble Actually Mean? (video), What Is Ratification? (video)
(3) List the three branches of the United States government. Explain:
- (a) The function of each branch of government
  
  Resources: What Is the Legislative Branch of the U.S. Government? (video), US Senate (website), US House of Representatives (website), What Is the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government? (video), What Is Veto Power? (video), What Is the Judicial Branch of the U.S. Government? (video), Supreme Court of the United States (website), The US Court System Explained (video)
- (b) Why it is important to divide powers among different branches
  
  Resources: The Separation of Powers (video)
- (c) How each branch checks and balances the others
  
  Resources: Checks and Balances/Separation of Powers Explained (video)
- (d) How citizens can be involved in each branch of government
  
  Resources: Political Participation and Elections (video), The Duties and Responsibilities of Citizens (video), YMCA Youth Conference on National Affairs (website), NextGen America (website), National Youth Rights Association (website)
(4) Discuss the importance of:
- (a) Declaration of Independence
  
  Resources: The Declaration of Independence (video)
- (b) Bill of Rights (the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution) and the 14th Amendment
  
  Resources: A 3-Minute Guide to the Bill of Rights (video), The 14th Amendment (video)
- (c) E Pluribus Unum, the traditional United States motto
  
  Resources: What Does E Pluribus Unum Actually Mean? (video)
(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.

Resources: Tracking Planner (PDF), Factbot (website), FactCheck (website), AP News (website), Politifact (website)
(6) With your counselor’s approval, choose a speech of national historical importance. Explain:

Resources: I Have a Dream Speech by Martin Luther King Jr. (video), President Franklin D. Roosevelt Declares War on Japan Speech (video), “Tear Down This Wall” Reagan Speech June 12 1987 (video), Explore the World’s Knowledge, Cultures, and Ideas (video), American Rhetoric (website), Top 100 Speeches (website)
- (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
- (f) Choose a sentence or two from the speech that has significant meaning to you, and tell your counselor why.
(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.
  
  Resources: America’s National Parks National Passport Program (website), National Park Service (website), National Archives (website), Does Historical Preservation Even Matter? (video), Museum of the American Revolution - Virtual Museum Tour (website)
- (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.
  
  Resources: Capital Curiosities: Exploring Why State Capitals Aren’t Always the Biggest Cities (video), Live, Virtual US Capital Tour (website)
- (c) Tour a federal facility. Explain to your counselor what you saw and what you learned about its function in the local community and how it serves this nation.
- (d) Choose a United States national monument that interests you. Using books, brochures, the internet (with your parent or guardian’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.
  
  Resources: US Senate (website), GovTrack (website), USA.gov (website), Common Cause (website), US House of Representatives (website)
(8) Name your representatives in the United States Congress. Write to your representative in Congress explaining your views on a national issue. Show your correspondence, along with any response you receive, to your counselor.

Resources

Note: This is an unofficial archive of Scouts BSA Merit Badges that was automatically extracted from the Scouting America website and may contain errors.