Chapter 24, section 2

1. Chapter 24, section 2 Rights, Duties, and Responsibilities

2. Rights of citizens These rights, and our other rights as citizens, are based on the fundamental beliefs and values we Americans share: equal respect, freedom, equality, and justice. • Our rights are guaranteed to us by our Constitution. • Our Rights are protected by our laws and our courts. • The right to vote and to hold elected office • The right to say what you think in speech or in writing • The right to practice your own religion d. The right to have a fair trial

3. Duties of citizens Be performing each of these duties, we, as citizens, support our government’s efforts to meet our needs as a society. • Obeying the laws • Defending the nation • Serving on a jury or as a witness in court • Paying taxes • Attending school

4. Obeying the laws • A society’s formal rules are called laws. • Laws range from requiring drivers to stop at stop signs to laws against murder and armed robbery. • Other laws establish the rules for making agreements and for settling disagreements

5. The rule of law • No individual, even the President, is above the law. • Government of laws, rather than of men and women is called the rule of law. • Officials must base their decisions on the law, not on personal opinion.

6. Defending the nation • The United States maintains armed services even in peacetime. • In this way, the nation can defend itself in case of attack and can help other countries protect themselves. • When you are eighteen years old or older, you may volunteer to serve in the army, navy, air force, or marines. • In addition, young men must register for military service when they reach age eighteen. • Registering does not mean that they will have to serve in the armed force, but it does mean that they can be called to serve when there is a national emergency.

7. Serving on a jury • A. one basic right of citizens is the right to a fair trial. • B. A judge or experts do not make the final decision as to innocence or guilt of a person. • C. Cases are decided by a jury of peers. • Jury of peers- group of ordinary citizens who hear the case and decide whether the accused person is innocent or guilty.

8. Serving as a witness • A) during a trial, the lawyers on both sides may call witnesses to prove their case. • B) witnesses- are people who have seen events related to the crime or who have special information that may help determine the guilt or innocence of the person on trial. • C) Juries and Witnesses play an important part in assuring that a trial is fair. • D) Because citizens have the right to a fair trial, it is adult citizens’ duty to serve as jurors and witnesses when they are called to do so.

9. Paying taxes • Many students pay sales tax on items you buy, such as clothes and CDs. • When you get a job, you will have to pay state taxes and federal taxes on the money you make. • Through taxes, our local, state, and national governments raise money to pay for the services that citizens ask them to provide.

10. Attending school • Every day that you go to school, you are performing one of your duties as a citizen. • Society depends on school to make sure that young people are prepared for the future. • Schools give students knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the“office of citizen” • Each of us must be educated about our history, our government, and the workings of our society.

11. Quick Write Which of the duties of citizens do you think is the most important? Why? • I believe attending school is the most important. I think this because without going to school and learning you would not be able to do all of the other duties.

12. Responsibilities of citizens • As American citizens, we have responsibilities as well. • Unlike duties, responsibilities are fulfilled by choice--- they are voluntary. • However, fulfilling our responsibilitiesis just as important a part of being a citizen as performing our duties.

13. Working toward the common good • The basic responsibility of citizens is to contribute to the common good. The common good is the well-being of all members of society. • Contributing to the common good means acting in ways that protect the rights and freedoms of other Americans and make our communities good places to live.

14. voting • The right to vote is one of the basic rights of American citizens and one of our most important responsibilities. • We vote for government representatives on all levels of government. • To make good decisions and vote wisely, citizens have the responsibility to inform themselves.

15. Holding government office • They have accepted the responsibility of learning about the issues and trying to make decisions that are in the best interests of the people they represent. • Citizens who hold office include our elected city council members, mayors, governors, and state/national representatives and senators.

16. Participating in election campaigns • One important way to fulfill the responsibilities of citizenship is to help a candidate, or person running for office, in his or her election campaign. • A candidate is a person running for office. • There are numerous ways to help candidates, such as carrying campaign sings at a rally, stuffing envelopes with information to send to voters, and making phone calls to encourage people to vote for your candidate.

17. Serving the community • Not all responsibilities of citizenship are directly connected with government. • Each of us is responsible for doing whatever we can to make our communities better places to live in.

18. Exit slip Why is it important to study and understand the issues that get decided in elections? • If you make a decision on who to vote for or what to vote for without researching the topics and people on your own, you are not making a wise choice. Unfortunately, when dealing with elections, many people will lie in order to get elected or have their law passed. If people just vote based off what other people say and not their own knowledge, we might as well not have elections and just have a few people make all the decisions for us.

19. Group Activity • As a group, come up with 3 rights and 3 responsibilities that you have as a student. • Record these on your poster paper. • Share with class.

20. What responsibilities go along with these rights? • Turn to page 188 in the “We the People” book. • Each group is going to choose one of the group activities to complete. Write everyone’s name at the top of the page. • At the top of ONE sheet of paper, write the “right” that is in blue above your activity. • Then, read the short paragraph and answer the questions in COMPLETE sentences! • Each group needs to have everyone participating. • You will be sharing your activity. Please designate someone to speak for your group. If you want everyone to read one question and answer that would be great!