Similarities and Differences 
of Roman and United States Citizenship

Similarities
American law was based on Roman in many aspects, and got much of its earliest ideas from the Roman Republic, including the decision to create a republican government instead of a democratic one like Athens.
  • The Rule of Law over the arbitrary wills of tyrants, officials, and kings.
  • Liberty for all citizens
  • Due process for all citizens, none can simply be punished without a trial of some sort
  • Both had written laws that created their forms of government, The US Constitution and the Roman Twelve Tables.
  • A Republican form of government with an Executive branch(The President of the USA and the two Consuls of the Republic)
  • A senate that created the laws and decided on general policy for the nation.
  • Both nations required military service of its citizens, especially earlier on in their history.
  • Citizens are given rights based on liberty, and personal freedoms over that of non-citizens.
  • Laws that are based on precedents and codified laws.
  • Laws started out focusing on the rights of the few, and expanded them over time.
  • Policies of Assimilation in conquered/annexed regions
  • Expectations of loyalty of its citizens.
  • Intense nationalism and feelings of having to support the nation in its endeavors.
  • One of the easier ways for a citizen to achieve political fame and political positions has been military glory and success for both Rome and America.
Picture
Imperial America personified in a manner very similar to a Roman Goddess
Differences
While Roman and American citizenship were very similar in direction and ideas, they had quite a few differences when it came to the rights and responsibilities they thought were important.
  • Women had no rights in Ancient Rome, and neither did non-citizens.
  • Slavery was legal in Rome, Abolished in the United States following a Civil War
  • America gave rights and citizenship to minority groups, women, and indigenous peoples
  • America suspended compulsory military service in the 1970s following popular shift against the idea.
  • America had no official language, religion, or many other things that most nations have had.
  • America prioritized personal freedom over service and submission to the state, like Rome.
  • America stopped oppressing native and other groups within their territory in time, and though social ills still exist in the nation, it has made significant progress towards true and total equality regardless of any aspect of a person's self.
  • The average citizen of the USA has the opportunity to voice their concerns to the government, and most of the power is in elected officials
  • The military is second to the nation itself, as the President is a civilian and the Commander-in-Chief of America's armed forces.
  • Military leaders are not given positions of power by their station alone, and no one in the military of the USA can serve in political office during their time in the military.
  • Religion is separated from matters of state in the USA (at least in theory) while in Rome being a priest was a high political office and important to the government.
  • Rome's economy and culture was geared towards warfare and conquest, while America's has been geared towards freedom and liberty, and more recently towards advancing the cause of social equality.
  • Universal suffrage in America, unlike Rome's very limited suffrage.
  • Women are not the property of men in America.
  • Non-citizens get some protections, just not nearly as many as American citizens.

Summary of both nations

Picture
To summarize, America and Rome have many similarities, which is very understandable, seeing as America almost directly is a descendant of the Roman Empire. We have very similar laws, and especially a similar start, rebelling from a monarchical nation to create a republican government based off the freedom from tyranny and oppression. Rome created its Twelve Tables to prevent the tyranny of the upper classes upon the Plebeians, following a kind of General Strike that occurred within a few decades of the Romans expelling the Etruscans to create their Republic. America in turn created the Constitution of the United States of America following several rebellions and protests over the states being tyrants over small farmers and others in favor of the city-dwellers to the East.

Rome would become a Republic very much focused on military prowess and liberty of the upper classes and male Roman citizens, giving almost no rights to anyone outside of those groups. Women, Foreigners, and Slaves were afforded no rights of any kind, and when they were it was severely limited. But for their time, Rome was very forward thinking, and inclusive. They accepted all cultures and faiths (as long as you acknowledged Roman ones above your own) and were able to conquer much of their known world because of this.

The United States, on the other hand, went in a bit of a different direction, especially as of late. Following the last World War, Americans have had few direct threats to their power, and thus many were able to turn inwards to address internal issues once and for all. Over several decades, civil rights movements led to an America much more inclusive and accepting than ever before, giving universal suffrage to all who were citizens, and rights to many more groups than ever before. While it is still quite nationalist and militaristic, these trends have slowly faded over time, with many Americans becoming quite apathetic of political matters, which creates its own sort problems the USA will need to deal with in the future as a democratically based state.

Citizens in both were given many rights, from due process under the law to the freedom from tyranny. America took this a step further, guaranteeing the freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and various others within its constitution and Bill of Rights. Rome was much more conservatively minded, and focused more on punishment than what the state could and could not do.