Two Statuses
The law of England, and of almost all civilized countries, ascribes to each individual at his birth two distinct legal states or conditions,-one by virtue of which he becomes the subject of some particular country, binding him by the tie of natural allegiance, and which may be called his political status; another by virtue of which he has ascribed to him the character of a citizen of some particular country, and as such is possessed of certain municipal rights, and subject to certain obligations, which latter character is the civil status or condition of the individual, and may be quite different from his political status.
[. . .]
And then, while maintaining that the civil status is universally governed by the single principle of domicil, domicilium, the criterion established by international law for the purpose of determining civil status, and the basis on which “the personal rights . . . depend;” he yet distinctly recognized that a man’s political status, his country, patria, and his “nationality, that is, natural allegiance,” may depend on different laws in different countries.
[United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649, 656-57 (1898)]
So:
- Political status: Is your nationality. (relates to a political jurisdiction–that is, a body politic, country, or nation).
- Civil Status: Imputed by domicile. (relates to a civil jurisdiction–that is, a definitive geography)
Applying these concepts, here is how you would answer questions about your citizenship:
- QUESTION 1: What is your nationality?
ANSWER: American - QUESTION 2: What’s another term for nationality?
ANSWER: Political status or allegiance.
Are citizenship and nationality the same thing?
While most people and countries use the terms ‘citizenship’ and ‘nationality’ interchangeably, U.S. law differentiates between the two. Under current law all U.S. citizens are U.S. nationals, but not all U.S. nationals are U.S. citizens.