In the Capellan Confederation the concept of “citizen” is far different from that of the ancient USA. To become a citizen of the Confederation a person must first make some contribution to the state—in other words, citizenship is earned, not granted. The following is paraphrased from several recent Capellan textbooks:
Capellan citizenship is another avenue of personal liberty for those who earn it, though in an indirect way. Apart from the legal benefits enshrined in the Capellan Concordat, the process of earning the name of citizen reinforces a sense of individual worth along with the collective ideal. Making citizenship contingent on service to the state clearly emphasizes the state's paramount importance; citizenship is a privilege reserved for those who give something to the nation that nurtured them. At the same time, however, the newly minted citizen experiences a profound understanding of his or her personal value. His contribution alone won him the right to join the select company of the citizenry; he personally did something for his nation, which recognized and rewarded him by making him fully part of it.
This dual effect accounts for much of the average Capellan's fierce pride in his realm. He earned the right to call himself Capellan, and the Confederation would be the poorer without his efforts. A sense of making a difference, however small, sustains most Capellan citizens through many a hardship inflicted by fate or imposed by harsh overlords. It also makes acceptance of their society's many restrictions seem like a reasonable price to pay.