Abstract

http://ssrn.com/abstract=1442203

The Most Conclusive Definition of Natural Born Citizen

Vic Battaile

August 01, 2009

Abstract:
Natural-born American citizens are those born of American citizen parents, within or
without the American Republic, provided in the latter case that one of the parents had
resided in the United States prior to the birth of the child. They are children with American
parents on both sides with 100 per cent American blood in their veins. Natural-born citizens
are those who are citizens of the United States from birth without having to perform any act
to acquire or perfect their American citizenship. Their American citizenship is natural, the
result of parentage, and not artificial or acquired by compliance with legislative provisions.
The phrase 'from birth' indicates that citizenship must start at a definite point and must be
continuous, constant and without interruption. If citizenship is gained through
naturalization, repatriation or legislation, the citizen concerned can not be considered
natural-born. Americans who acquired their citizenship by birth abroad to U.S. citizens are
not naturalized citizens. The state of being a natural-born citizen has been regarded, not so
much in its literal sense, but more in its legal connotation. The very first Americans did not
acquire that status at birth. They were born as British subjects. Citizenship at birth alone is
insufficient to determine natural-born citizenship. It alone is not sufficient to be born of
citizen parents. Those who are citizens by birth and born to citizen parents are natural born
citizens.

Keywords: nature, natural, naturalized, birth, natural born, natural-born, law, legal,
constitution, united states, america, american, president, alien, native, foreign, presidency,
parentage, hereditary, jus sanguinis, jus soli, citizen, citizens, citizenship

JEL Classifications: K00, K10, K14, K19, K30, K40, K41, K42, K49

Working Paper Series

Citation

Battaile, Vic,The Most Conclusive Definition of Natural Born Citizen(August 01, 2009).
Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1442203

Social Science Research Network (SSRN): www.ssrn.com

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