When Voting Cost You Your Passport: The Strange History of Strict Liability and Citizenship and The Benefits of Dual Citizenship

November 13, 2025 - Participants include: Parviz Malakouti - @ParvizMalakouti   John Richardson - @ExpatriationLaw _________________________________________ Introduction and description: The second Trump administration has caused and will continue to cause a reawakening of a discussion on the meaning of U.S. citizenship. What does it mean? How strong is it? What rights does it include? How can it be lost? We are also living in a time where there is a heightened awareness of the value of multiple citizenships. What does have dual citizenship mean?  For Americans, the single most important "citizenship case" is Afroyim v. Rusk. While making dual citizenship possible, it also has played a role in creating the tax problems of Americans abroad today. On November 13, 2025 I participated in a "X Space" discussion with Parviz about the Afroyim case. It was a great discussion. You can hear the complete discussion here. The following podcast is a condensed version of the discussion (covering the essential points in a 15 minute version).  Enjoy (if that is possible)! What follows is an AI generated description, which really does not justice to this discussion. ________________________________________ AI generated description: "This episode traces how "strict liability" once let the U.S. revoke citizenship for simple acts like voting, and how the Supreme Court’s Afroyim v. Rusk shifted the rule to require intent to relinquish citizenship. It explains the two-tiered system—14th Amendment birthright citizenship versus statutory citizenship for children born abroad—and explores the modern strategic response: securing dual citizenship to preserve exit options from U.S. tax and bureaucratic obligations. Experts discuss practical steps (documenting births and passports) and the geopolitical urgency to claim alternative citizenships while options remain open."