Elements of Democracy:

Civic Responsibility

Window on America Center

Kirovohrad Oblast Research Library Named After Chizhevsky

Country Study Series

Karin N. Jones

Community Development Volunteer, Peace Corps Ukraine

Review – What is Democracy?

• Democracy is government in which power and civic

responsibility are exercised by all citizens, directly or through

their freely elected representatives.

• Democracy is a set of principles and practices that protect

human freedom.

− In other words, it is the institutionalization of freedom.

• Democracies understand that one of their prime functions is

to protect such basic human rights as freedom of speech and

religion; the right to equal protection under law; and the

opportunity to organize and participate fully in the political,

economic, and cultural life of society.

• Citizens in a democracy not only have rights, they have the

responsibility to participate in the political system that, in

turn, protects their rights and freedoms.

What is Civic Responsibility? • Citizenship in a democracy requires participation, civility, and even patience.

• Democratic citizens recognize that they not only have rights, they have responsibilities.

− They recognize that democracy requires an investment of time and hard work – a government of the people

demands constant vigilance and support by the people.

• There is a saying in free societies: you get the government you deserve. For democracy to succeed,

citizens must be active, not passive, because they know that the success or failure of the government

is their responsibility, and no one else's.

− In turn, government officials understand that all citizens should be treated equally and that bribery has no

place in a democratic government.

• Democracies need more than an occasional vote from their citizens to remain healthy. They need the

steady attention, time, and commitment of large numbers of their citizens who, in turn, look to the

government to protect their rights and freedoms.

• Democratic citizens know that they must bear the burden of responsibility for their society if they are

to benefit from its protection of their rights.

History of Civic Responsibility • Civic Responsibility dates to ancient Rome whose citizens wanted to contribute to Roman

society.

• Although Civic Responsibility has existed for centuries in society, it was officially sanctioned

as a blueprint for democracy in 1787 by the ratification of the United States Constitution.

• In the United States, because of civic responsibility, citizenship was understood in terms of

the labors of ordinary people who created goods and undertook projects to benefit the

public, as opposed to the high-minded, virtuous and leisure activities of gentlemen.

− This kind of civic identify helped create an important balance between pursuit of individual wealth

and the creation of public things

• Today, people in the United States are active citizens in many ways.

What is Service Learning?

• A teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with

instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and

strengthen communities.

• Through service-learning, young people—from kindergarteners to college students—use

what they learn in the classroom to solve real-life problems. They not only learn the

practical applications of their studies, they become actively contributing citizens and

community members through the service they perform.

Ties to Philanthropy

• Civic responsibility is tied to the philanthropic sector in many ways. Through citizen and

corporate participation, nonprofit organizations prosper from their giving of time and

money.

• Service learning directly relates to civic responsibility and ties to the philanthropic sector by

students learning through the completion of projects within communities.

Why is Civic Responsibility important? • The importance of civic responsibility is essential to the success of democracy and

philanthropy.

• By engaging in civic responsibility, citizens ensure and uphold certain democratic values

written in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

− Those values or duties include justice, freedom, equality, diversity, authority, privacy, due process,

property, participation, truth, patriotism, human rights, rule of law, tolerance, mutual assistance,

self restraint and self respect.

• Schools teach civic responsibility to students with the goal to produce responsible

citizens and active participants in community and government.

• Public participation is a key ingredient in the recipe for democracy. Public participation

increases transparency in the decision-making process. If citizens are involved in the policy

development, they will be able to make government officials more accountable for their

decisions.

• Therefore, individuals must be involved in the decision-making process because their input

can help create useful solutions to problems, such as community housing or education,

which are an integral part of their every day lives.

When should citizen participation occur?

• Citizen participation should not be undertaken under any special circumstances, but should

be a part of the everyday life of citizens.

• Public participation is not a seasonal event. It is each citizen's right and responsibility to

participate not only during the election period but also in times between elections.

How to learn civic responsibility • Service learning is a way in which people learn civic responsibility. Through service

learning, citizens participate in projects to help or serve the needs of other people. By getting

their hands dirty and actually doing work, citizens experience the value and impact of giving

to people and learn to be productive members of society.

• Volunteering is a form of civic responsibility, which involves the giving of time or labor

without the expectation of monetary compensation. Many people volunteer through local

churches, animal shelters or food banks. Volunteering allows citizens the opportunity to

share their skills and talents as well as the to learn new skills while helping those in need of

assistance.

• Civic Education is a method in which to teach civic responsibility. According to the Center

of Civic Education, it is a way to promote and enlighten responsible citizenry committed to

democratic principles. Civic education is a means to actively engage people in the practice of

democracy in the United States and other countries

How can a person exercise Civic Responsibility?

• People can exercise their civic responsibilities in the many ways, including:

− Participation in government, church, volunteers and memberships of voluntary

associations.

− Advocating for various causes, such as political, economic, civil, environmental or quality

of life issues.

− Running for office or serve as appointed public officials for a time.

− Utilizing a free press to speak out on local and national issues.

− Joining labor unions, community groups, and business associations.

− Joining private voluntary organizations that share their interests – whether devoted to

religion, ethnic culture, academic study, sports, the arts, literature, neighborhood

improvement, international student exchanges.

− Participating in other activities.

What do I need to exercise Civic Responsibility?

• Awareness/Education

− Citizens need to be educated about their rights and responsibilities in relation to the government and

decision-making process.

• Initiative and the desire to make a difference

• Dedication to the issue

− Don’t give up if you are not successful the first time you try something!

• Time

− Often, changes do not happen as quickly as we want them to. We must realize that change takes time.

• Information

− Dissemination of information about policies and issues at hand can occur both in an upward (i.e.

citizens express their concerns) and downward (i.e. government officials inform citizens about policies

being developed and their rights and responsibilities) motion.

• Cooperation with local authorities

− Citizens must be prepared to work with the government to solve problems.

• Transparency on the part of all parties

• Flexibility

Obstacles to Citizen Participation

• Lack of trust.

• Lack of cooperation between the parties.

• Limited access to information.

• Fear of the unknown.

• Lack of self-confidence.

• Limited or non-existent structures.

• Lack of skills, culture of participation.

• Unrealistic levels of expectation.

• Focus is on narrow, rather than broad, issue.

How to overcome obstacles to participation

• Civic education and training.

• Public awareness campaigns.

• Communication strategies.

• Networking and building bridges.

• Sharing experiences.

• Partnerships.

• Managerial skills.

• Introducing volunteerism and social service learning.

Conclusion

• Democracy is a process, a way of living and working together. It is evolutionary,

not static. It requires cooperation, compromise, and tolerance among all citizens.

Making it work is hard, not easy.

• Freedom means responsibility, not freedom from responsibility.

• Fulfilling this responsibility can involve active engagement in organizations or

the pursuit of specific community goals; above all, fulfillment in a democracy

involves a certain attitude, a willingness to believe that people who are different

from you have similar rights.

Thank you for reading this country study on Civic

Responsibility and Participation!