Final answer:
Citizenship in the Roman Empire was granted based on wealth and social status and was used to restrict certain rights and privileges. It was not freely given to all residents of the empire, but rather a tool to incorporate or exclude people based on their status.
Step-by-step explanation:
Citizenship in the Roman Empire was used as a tool both to incorporate and exclude people from participation in the empire.
Citizenship was not freely given to all residents of the empire, as stated in option a. It was granted based on wealth and social status, as mentioned in option b. Those who were manumitted from slavery or fought as allies in times of conflict were likely to be granted citizenship. Some existing communities were also granted limited citizenship, known as 'Latin Rights,' when they were brought under Roman control.
Option c is partially correct. Citizenship did serve as a way to unify diverse populations under Roman rule, but differences in status and ethnicity persisted among Romans despite this.
The most accurate option is d, which states that citizenship was used to restrict certain rights and privileges. Roman citizenship conferred various privileges, such as voting rights, the right to perform military service, the right to run for public office, and marriage and property rights. However, not all individuals within the Roman Empire had access to these rights and privileges.