Citizen Responsibilities

Unlike a dictatorship, a democratic government exists to serve the people, but citizens in democracies must also agree to abide by the rules and obligations by which they are governed. Democracies grant many freedoms to their citizens including the freedom to dissent and criticize the government.

Citizenship in a democracy requires participation, civility, and even patience.

  1. Democratic citizens recognize that they not only have rights, they have responsibilities. They recognize that democracy requires an investment of time and hard work – a government of the people demands constant vigilance and support by the people.
  1. Under some democratic governments, civic participation means that citizens are required to serve on juries, or give mandatory military or civilian national service for a period of time. Other obligations apply to all democracies and are the sole responsibility of the citizen – chief among these is respect for law. Paying one's fair share of taxes, accepting the authority of the elected government, and respecting the rights of those with differing points of view are also examples of citizen responsibility.
  1. Democratic citizens know that they must bear the burden of responsibility for their society if they are to benefit from its protection of their rights.
  1. There is a saying in free societies: you get the government you deserve. For democracy to succeed, citizens must be active, not passive, because they know that the success or failure of the government is their responsibility, and no one else's. In turn, government officials understand that all citizens should be treated equally and that bribery has no place in a democratic government.
  1. In a democratic system, people unhappy with their leaders are free to organize and peacefully make the case for change – or try to vote those leaders out of office at established times for elections.
  1. Democracies need more than an occasional vote from their citizens to remain healthy. They need the steady attention, time, and commitment of large numbers of their citizens who, in turn, look to the government to protect their rights and freedoms.
  1. Citizens in a democracy join political parties and campaign for the candidates of their choice.

-- They accept the fact that their party may not always be in power.

-- They are free to run for office or serve as appointed public officials for a time.

-- They utilize a free press to speak out on local and national issues.

-- They join labor unions, community groups, and business associations.

-- They join private voluntary organizations that share their interests – whether devoted to religion, ethnic culture, academic study, sports, the arts, literature, neighborhood improvement, international student exchanges, or a hundred other different activities.

Responsibilities of a Citizen

A citizen is simply described as a person who a member of a particular country. The citizen of a country has rights granted to him by the constitution. He also has to take responsibilities and perform the duties that are expected of him. Here is a discussion pertaining to the various responsibilities that a citizen has to shoulder.

Responsibilities of a Citizen

The primary/main responsibilities of a citizen are listed below. Except for voting, all the duties mentioned below are mandatory. Let us understand the various duties of a citizen one by one.
Obeying the Laws: It is one of the most important responsibilities or duties of a citizen. Laws are made to maintain harmony in the society and to make sure that rights of all the citizens are respected. The police and courts have the authority to penalize those who disobey the laws.
Paying Taxes: To pay all the taxes honestly and in a timely manner is also one of the responsibilities of a citizen. It is necessary to pay taxes because the money that is paid by citizens is used for constructive purposes, like, building and maintaining roads, schools, fire protection, etc. The different types of taxes to be paid by citizens are income tax, excise tax, property tax, sales tax, social security tax, etc. The federal taxes are used for the payments of federal judges, doctors, national park rangers, FBI agents, etc.
Serve as a Witness: If a citizen of the country is summoned by the court to serve as a witness, he has to comply with the court's decision. It is one of the citizen responsibilities that could prove to be instrumental in solving crucial court cases.
Jury Duty: It is an American right which gives a citizen the privilege to serve as a juror. The 12 members of the jury need to hear the evidence presented during a trial and decide whether the defendant is guilty or not. Selection of the jury is made from a list of registered voters in a random manner. Unless a person provides a valid reason for not being available to serve as a jury, he cannot avoid/turn away from this responsibility.
Voting: It is a privilege given to the citizens for choosing their government. Responsible citizens need to exercise the right to vote and elect their representatives. One should be well informed about the candidates and the issues before voting.

Registering for the Draft: It is a mandatory thing and the citizens who turn 18 years old have to register for the Selective Service. Currently, women are exempted from registering for the draft, hence it is applicable only to men. A person who has registered for the Selective Service doesn't necessarily become a part of the army. If the government needs a larger armed force during the times of crisis, the Selective Service chooses from the people who have registered.

Other Responsibilities of a Citizen

Apart from the above-mentioned responsibilities, citizens of a democratic country have to shoulder many other responsibilities voluntarily. In a democratic country, citizens are expected to participate actively in regulation of the government. Constant support of the people and vigilance are required for a democracy to function effectively. It is not enough to just vote and remain passive until the next presidential elections. Citizens need to give time and attention to see whether the government is functioning properly or not. They can also voice their opinions against the government and carry out demonstrations in a peaceful manner. People have the right to join political parties and campaign for them.

Respecting the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others is another responsibility that has become more important as the diversity in our communities and nation continues to change. Civil discourse between and among our citizenry is necessary if we are going to be able to tackle the responsibilities of government by and for the people.

The different responsibilities of a citizen mentioned in the above article give us an idea about the functioning of a democratic system. It is necessary that the citizens perform their duties for the government to function properly.