Citizenship in the United States of America
Troop 721 Milford, CT - Citizenship in the United States of America
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.