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 Citizenship in the United States of America
Troop 721 Milford, CT -  Citizenship in the United States of America
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Duties and Responsibilities of Citizens of all Americans Men can be asked to serve in the armed forces. During times of war, any man who is physically able can be called upon to fight for the US. In peaceful times, there can be a draft or men can enlist voluntarily. The U.S. has had both systems in the past, and the system changes from time to time. In some states or local areas, any person may be ordered to help the sheriff arrest a criminal or to enforce peace and order. Every person is expected to obey the laws of the community, state and country in which he/she lives. All Americans are expected to respect the rights of others. All persons living in the U.S. are expected to pay their income taxes and other taxes honestly and on time. The tax money is used by different government agencies to pay for the services provided to Americans. Sometimes, the government gets too involved in peoples lives and vectors off the path they should be on. The Pre-Amble to the constitution is what the Government is only supposed to be doing. Voting as a duty Before voting in an election, each citizen should be well informed about the issues and candidates. Resources such as GPO Access can help citizens keep current on issues facing the Congress and how members of Congress vote on these issues. The political parties distribute brochures, pamphlets and newsletters about their candidates, the party platform, and the party view on important issues. Citizens can read this information to learn about the differences among the parties. Some candidates are independent and do not belong to a political party. These candidates distribute their own information. Radio, television, newspapers, and magazines provide information, also. Each citizen needs to make his/her own decision about who would be the best representatives by considering all sides of the issues. State and local elections involve voting on issues or laws that are of concern to the citizens, such as businesses, schools, neighborhoods, transportation, safety or health. In many states, the voters have a direct part in the lawmaking process. For example, a law that has been passed in the state legislature may be sent back to the voters to accept or reject. The voters decide directly if a new law should be put into effect. This is known as the power of referendum. Another form of direct lawmaking by the voters in some states is the initiative. In this process, a group of voters signs a petition asking for a specific law. If enough people have signed the petition, the qualified voters must be given a chance to vote for or against the proposed law. The law will go into effect if more than half (a majority) of the votes are in favor of the law. These two processes, referendum and initiative, show the authority of the people in the U.S. system of government and the importance of being a well-informed citizen. To keep the laws responsive to the needs of state and community, it is important to vote and be represented. The "Right" to Vote There is no constitutional "right to vote". The "right to vote" is a duty as well as a privilege afforded by law. It is important for all educated citizens to vote in every election to make sure that the democratic, representative system of government is maintained. Persons who do not vote lose their voice in the government. This author truly believes that if you don not educate yourself enough to make a rational decision to vote. Stay Home, you'll be doing the country a disservice. Have you ever heard someone say, "That's unconstitutional!" or "That's my constitutional right!" and wondered if they were right? You might be surprised how often people get it wrong. You might also be surprised how often people get it right. Your best defense against misconception is reading and knowing your Constitution. The Constitution contains many phrases, clauses, and amendments detailing ways people cannot be denied the right to vote. You cannot deny the right to vote because of race or gender. Citizens of Washington DC can vote for President; 18-year-olds can vote; you can vote even if you fail to pay a poll tax. The Constitution also requires that anyone who can vote for the "most numerous branch" of their state legislature can vote for House members and Senate members. Note that in all of this, though, the Constitution never explicitly ensures the right to vote, as it does the right to speech, for example. It does require that Representatives be chosen and Senators be elected by "the People," and who comprises "the People" has been expanded by the aforementioned amendments several times. Aside from these requirements, though, the qualifications for voters are left to the states. And as long as the qualifications do not conflict with anything in the Constitution, that right can be withheld. For example, in Texas, persons declared mentally incompetent and felons currently in prison or on probation are denied the right to vote. It is interesting to note that though the 26th Amendment requires that 18-year-olds must be able to vote, states can allow persons younger than 18 to vote, if they chose to.