2. Duties and Responsibilities of U.S. Citizens

3. Legal Duties These are actions a citizen MUST do to stay within the law.

4. An American citizen MUST … Obey laws passed by Congress (federal laws) And laws passed by state and local legislatures.

5. An American citizen MUST … Serve as a witness if asked by the Court to do so. A witness must respond to a court- order to appear before the court, called a subpoena. “ I swear to tell the truth, the whole, and nothing but the truth, so help me God. ”

6. An American citizen MUST … Serve on a jury. Employers must allow citizens to serve with no problems if asked. Citizens can be excused if they can show that serving would cause hardship.

7. Civic Responsibilities These are actions a citizen should do on a voluntary basis to be a good citizen.

8. An American citizen SHOULD … Vote in federal, state, and local elections. The voting age in the United States is 18 according to the 26 th Amendment (1971) 51% is a majority and wins the vote.

9. An American citizen SHOULD … Run for political office Only if he or she feels a contribution can be made. The candidate must file with the party of their choice. It takes large amounts of money to run even a local campaign.

10. An American citizen SHOULD … Express opinions to elected officials Citizens can write Congressional offices Making a phone call is also OK Email is possible too.

11. An American citizen SHOULD … Participate in civic groups such as the Lions Club, Kiwanis, or American Legion.

12. An American citizen SHOULD … Know his or her legal rights according to the Constitution. Be familiar with the Court System.

13. Three Levels of Citizenship Personally Responsible Citizen Participatory CitizenJustice Oriented Citizen Acts responsibly in his/her community: pays taxes: obeys laws; recycles; gives blood; volunteers in times of crisis Active in community organizations; organizes community efforts for those in need; understands how government works; knows strategies for accomplishing collective tasks Critically assesses social, political, and economic structures to see beyond surface causes; seeks out and addresses areas of injustice; knows about democratic processes to create change.

14. Katrina and Citizenship Consider the three types of citizenship used to examine citizen respones during and after Hurricane Katrina. Can Participatory and/or Justice- Oriented forms of citizenship be learned? Should they be taught Are we our brother’s and sister’s keepers?