- [Narrator] In addition
to citizenship rights,
citizens also have
responsibilities and obligations.
Now obligations are those
activities that citizens must do,
or they'll face legal repercussions.
But responsibilities are
activities that citizens should do
to be good and productive
members of society.
So you won't get in trouble
with the law if you don't do
them, but your community
will be a better place
if you do.
We'll talk more about the
obligations of citizenship
in another video.
So for now, let's just focus
on the responsibilities.
What are those responsibilities?
First there's voting.
It's not legally required
that citizens vote
in the United States,
unlike in some other countries
where citizens can get
in trouble, if they don't vote.
But responsible citizens get
involved with the decision
making process, through voting.
And to be a good voter,
It's important that citizens are informed.
They stay up to date on the
issues that government is facing
and they research candidates
and ballot measures
before they vote.
the voting, isn't the only way
to be a responsible citizen.
You can also do so by
voicing your concerns.
For example, something I did
recently, and this is true,
was emailing my city's transit
department about a street
light that wasn't functioning
properly near where I live,
the transit department
came out and fixed it.
And now there's less of a
chance that an accident will
happen in that intersection.
So when you notice a problem
that may affect others,
it's responsible to speak
up and try to fix things.
You can also act as a responsible
citizen by volunteering.
If you have a skill to
teach others or time to give
for a good cause you can make
your community a better place
through your service.
Lastly,
good citizens respect the
rights and beliefs of others.
They understand that in a democracy,
not everyone may have the
same opinions or concerns
as they do, but everyone else is entitled
to the same rights as they are.
So that's a quick rundown of
the responsibilities of citizenship.
Which one do you think is most important?
What other things can you do
to improve your community?
