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What are the duties of American citizens?
Duties – actions we are required to perform
• Set by laws• Subject to penalities
under the law– Fines, prison
Responsibilities – the things we should do
• Obligations we meet of our own free will
Duties of Citizenship
• Obey Laws– Federal and state
• Pay Taxes– Provides $$ to keep the government running– Local, state, and federal– Military defense– Examples include income tax, property tax,
and state taxes on goods purchased
• Serve in Court– Defined by the U.S. Constitution– Right to a trial by jury
• A jury is a group of citizens who hear evidence in a case and decide whether or not the accused is guilty
– Citizens have the duty to serve as witnesses if called to do so
• Attend school– Government provides free public education– Children 7-16 years of age must attend
school
National Defense
• Selective Service System (SSS)– Males citizens ages
18-25 must register– Government may
draft men from the list to support war or national emergency
– Last draft was in 1973 in support of the Vietnam War
Responsibilities of Citizens
• Be an informed an active citizen– State legislature, school board, town council– Support causes, voice your concerns– Study candidates, know the issues
• Respect the rights of others– Tolerance – respecting and accepting others
• Contribute to the common good– Community efforts
Being InvolvedHow can citizens make their community a better place to live?
• Donating time and money• Volunteerism – giving your time to work in
the community
• The spirit of volunteerism• More than 1 million charities in the U.S.
• National service programs• Peace Corps, Learn and Serve America• AmeriCorps, Senior Corps