The Rights and Responsibilities of the Citizen
Now, that we know what the job of the government is, let's talk about the citizen. To be able to talk about the citizen, we have to know the exact definition of the word. According to Dictionary.com, a citizen is "a native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection". So, in the definition of the word, even states that a citizen has to be protected by its government. Remember John Locke's natural rights? Well here it is again. Something this definition also explains is the idea of a social contract. Hopefully all of this sounds familiar to you. Anyway, back to the point. The government must protect its people, but it is expected that the citizens do some things in return. This section will cover both of these things.
The Rights of Citizens
There are many rights that citizens have. If you prayed this morning, you have exercised one right today: the freedom of religion. Another right that all people have is the right to bear arms. This right can be controversial, but still, it is a right that Americans have. The Bill of Rights list many rights that all Americans have. All of these rights are important, however, the most important rights give to citizens are the rights promised in the Declaration of Independence: The right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. If any of these three rights are broken by the government, then the citizens have the right to revolt and change what is wrong. See, citizens lives' all boil down to what rights they have.
The Responsibilities of Citizens
You don't think that the citizens get all of these rights without having to do anything in return, do you? Nope. As a matter of fact, there are many responsibilities that the citizens are expected to live by. One of these responsibilities is voting. Everyone eighteen or older is expected to vote during every election. Unfortunately, the amount of people voting is going down these days. Another responsibility of every male US citizen is to enlist for the draft at age eighteen. If America ever needs to go into war, the draft will happen and the people chosen will have to go into the military. One responsibility expected of all citizens is to pay taxes. If the citizens don't pay taxes, they can get arrested and possibly going to jail. Citizens have to fulfill their responsibilities for their government.
Section Review
- Every citizen has certain rights
- If the rights are violated by the government, they can revolt
- Citizens are expected to fulfill their responsibilities
- If a citizen doesn't fulfill responsibilities, there will be a consequence
Vocab
Social Contract: Agreement between the people and the government
Rights: Ideals that humans are promised
Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments to the Constitution
Pursuit of Happiness: The ability to find happiness as a citizen
Enlist: register to be picked for the draft
Rights: Ideals that humans are promised
Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments to the Constitution
Pursuit of Happiness: The ability to find happiness as a citizen
Enlist: register to be picked for the draft
Review Questions
- What is a citizen? a native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection
- Are the citizens expected to fulfill some responsibilities? Yes
- What is the second amendment? The right to bear arms
- What is one right given to the citizens? Ex: The freedom of speech
- What age are people expected to start voting? 18