1. Ch. 5
The Duties and
Responsibilities of Citizenship
Duties and Responsiblities

2. A Citizen’s Legal Duties
 Each of us belongs to many communities:
- neighborhood
- town, city
- school
- church
- state
- country
 As community members, we have many
responsibilities – things we should do or obligations
that we fulfill voluntarily

3. A Citizen’s Legal Duties
 As citizens, we also have duties – things
we are required to do.
 We must fulfill duties required by national,
state, and local governments or face fines
or imprisonment.

4. Duties
1. Obey the Law
- Serve specific purposes, such as to help
people get along, prevent accidents, and see
that resources are used fairly
2. Pay Taxes
- Government uses tax money to pay police,
pave roads, and maintain armed forces.
People pay a percentage of what they bring in,
or on the sale of goods or even property.

5. Duties
3. Defend the Nation
- In the U.S. all men aged 18-25 must register with
the government in case the country needs to draft, or
call up men for military service; today military service
is voluntary.
4. Serve in Court
- Every adult citizen must be prepared to serve on a
jury or as a witness at a trial if called to do so.

6. Duties
5. Attend School
- Most states require young people to
attend school until the age of 16.

7. Civic Responsibilities
1. Be Informed
- Know what the government is doing so that
you can voice your opinion.
- People can learn about issues and leaders by
reading print publications, listening to news on
the radio or T.V., talking o people, and
searching the internet
- Be aware of your rights

8. Civic Responsibilities
2. Speak Up and Vote
- Remember, the government exists to serve
you, but you must make your concerns known.
- Calling, writing, or sending e-mails to your
elected representatives; joining political
parties; working for a cause
- VOTE

9. Civic Responsibilities
3. Respect Other’s Rights
- people must respect public property
and the property of others.
- vandalizing and littering are not only
disrespectful but also a crime.

10. Civic Responsibilities
4. Respect Diversity
- Although we may disagree with people or disapprove
of their lifestyles, these people have an equal right to
their beliefs and practices
- Tolerance means respecting and accepting others,
regardless of their beliefs, practices, or differences.
- Diversity in our country is a strength, all citizens are
equal and entitled to be treated the same.

11. Civic Responsibilities
5. Contribute to the Common Good
- Contributing time, effort, and money to
help others and to improve the
community life.
- Be an active participant in your
community

12. Citizens and the Community
 Americans do volunteer work to help make
their communities better places to live.
 A community is a group of people who
share the same interests and concerns.
 Many volunteers today are students
between grades 6-12.

13. Citizens and the Community
 Government at all levels, provide many needs
for the people, but resources are limited.
 Governments are bureaucracies – complex
systems with many departments, rules, and
people in the chain of command.
 This often makes it difficult for government to
respond quickly to social problems.

14. Citizens and the Community
 Good citizens of this country are
concerned about the welfare – the
health, prosperity, and happiness of all
members of the community.
 Some people participate in the community
by leading a scout troop; others mentor
school children; visit nursing homes; and
collecting canned goods. Ex. PTA

15. Citizens and the Community
 Volunteerism is the practice of offering your
time and services to others without payment.
 Instead of their time, many Americans
contribute money to charity
 In 2005, people gave more than $250 billion to
charity. Average 2% of their income.
 Most came from average individual citizens,
some came from large corporations.

16. Citizens and the Community
 Many companies believe in giving back to
the community.
 Ex. sponsoring a recreational sports team,
donating prizes for community fund-raisers,
contributing to college
scholarships to students
 Ex. Bentonville, Arkansas – Wal-Mart

17. Citizens and the Community
 When it comes to volunteering, people are more
likely to participate when they feel a personal
connection to a cause or know others involved
ex. PTA
 There are more than 1 million registered
charities with the federal government; many are
small and locally based.
 All are dependant on ordinary people giving their
time.

18. Citizens and the Community
 More than half of all U.S. middle schools
and high schools now arrange community
service for students from 6-12 grade.
 Several hundred school districts now
require high school students to volunteer
a set number of hours to earn a
graduation diploma.

19. Citizens and the Community
 The federal government has created national volunteer
programs:
 1961, John F. Kennedy challenged Americans to fight
poverty, disease, and war in the poorest corners of the
world.
 Established the Peace Corps which now has 180,000
members in 138 countries.
 Includes advising farmers, teaching children,
vaccinations against disease, etc.

20. Citizens and the Community
 AmeriCorps was established in 1993. 50,000
Americans participate.
 Domestically help disaster victims, clean up
polluted rivers, assist individuals with disabilities.
 In exchange, people receive a small living
allowance and money to help pay for college.

21. Citizens and the Community
 Senior Corps established in 1965, is a volunteer program
for people aged 55 and older. Consists of 3 main
programs:
- Foster grandparents for children with special needs
- Senior companions for other seniors
- The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (meals on
wheels) or other neighborhood activities

22. Citizens and the Community
 USA Freedom Corps was a new program
implemented by George W. Bush which brought
together all three programs:
Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Senior Corps
 Meant to focus on three areas of need:
- responding to national emergencies
- rebuilding our communities
- extending American compassion around the
world

23. Citizens and the Community
 By banding together, we truly serve ourselves.
 The benefits of volunteering:
- make our communities better places to live
- gain opportunities to learn, make friends,
improve skills
- gain the satisfaction of knowing that a
difference has been made in someone else’s life.