The Responsibilities Of A Good Citizen
The responsibilities of a good citizen
The duties and responsibilities of a free country can be discussed in four areas. These include the duty to finance the government, to vote in elections, provide public services to institutions of government and to review and question governmental decisions.
Most people try to avoid taxes, but to have the freedoms that we have, we must fund our government agencies. The Departments of Health, Defense, Education, Housing, Transportation and Communicable Disease Control (there are many others) all exist to make our lives better. To enjoy our comparatively trouble free lives, we must pay taxes.
Voting in elections is the only way citizens can stay free. When citizens fail to vote or have political opinions, they allow vested interests to have their way. This can quickly restrict their personal freedoms.
It also the responsibility of a free citizen to provide public service to the government. This means volunteering for various agencies and charities, but it also means to serve jury duty. Without this component, people will most certainly lose the opportunity to be judged by a jury of their peers.
Finally, it is a citizen's duty to scrutinize the government's actions and take stands against repression and the loss of their civil rights. When citizens get too complacent, they will not notice when their freedom is being abridged.
As you can see, a citizen's failure to participate in government can allow special interests to take control and will also have an impact on our ability to live comparatively trouble free lives.
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