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. Read more on US constitution.

Responsibilities of a Citizen
The primary/main responsibilities of a citizen are enlisted 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 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 which 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 can't 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. Read more about different reasons why people should vote.

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 till 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. Read more on communism.

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.