The Birthright Citizenship Controversy: A Study of Conservative Substance and Rhetoric

Abstract

This essay is a critique of the conservative rhetoric used in their attack on birthright citizenship — as granted by Clause 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment, which states: “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.” The rhetoric of that attack violates the traditional canons of conservative argumentation and interpretation, such as original intent and plain meaning. As such, their arguments call into question the seriousness of their allegiance to these canons.

Keywords: Citizenship, birthright citizenship, Fourteenth Amendment, immigration, conservatism, rhetoric