Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge
U.S. government structure, the Constitution, and national landmarks — often paired with a civic site visit.
Good fit if you like
Tips for Earning This Badge
- 1The national historic landmark visit is the sticking point for many scouts — a state capitol building qualifies, and so do many local historic sites listed on the National Register.
- 2Schedule the visit early so it does not hold up completion.
- 3The news-following requirement runs for three months — start tracking a current event right away.
- 4Pair this with Citizenship in the Community for efficiency since the discussion topics overlap.
- 5Counselors are listening for whether you can explain why a topic matters, not just recite what happened — have an opinion ready, not just a summary.
- 6A common pitfall: waiting until the last month to start the current-events tracking, which is obvious to a counselor when every entry has the same date.
Available at Merit Badge Colleges
This badge is commonly offered at merit badge college events hosted by councils and universities. A great way to knock it out in a weekend with an experienced counselor. Learn how to find one near you.
Official Requirements
We keep this page focused on tips and what to expect, not a copy of the requirement text — requirements get revised periodically, and scouts are generally held to whichever version was current when they started the badge (the same reason Scoutbook lets you filter by pamphlet version). For the exact, current wording, check your Scoutbook record for this badge or the official page below.
Citizenship in the Nation on scouting.org ↗Finding a Counselor
Ask your Scoutmaster for the council's merit badge counselor list. For popular badges, a parent in your troop may already be registered as a counselor. If your troop doesn't have one, your council's advancement chair can help connect you.
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