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American Citizenship

The reason for taking American Government in school was addressed by the lack of knowledge of
the younger voters of the American people. The government saw this problem and decided to address it formally in Congress. The voice of the people was heard, and the law demanding us to
take the class was passed. We have learned so much from the class to help us know how governments were started and how the start of the political parties were developed. We have
become knowledgeable to the types of government, the basic principles of these governments, and
the rise and fall of some of these.

Citizenship can be defined as the state of being a citizen or as the rights and duties of a citizen. Basically, a person is a citizen if born in this country or a person can be a naturalized citizen, which means that a person was not born in this country, but after meeting various requirements they can become a naturalized citizen. Citizenship not only gives a person protection by the government, but also guarantees the citizen is loyal and protective of their country as well.

In the United States, we are a country made up of immigrants. These immigrants became citizens and pledged their loyalty to the United States. The United States, in turn, not only guarantees its protection, but also many other rights under the Constitution. The Constitution is very specific concerning the rights of all citizens. Not only is slavery, women's suffrage and elections addressed, but also limitations on the number of terms a president can serve and congressional pay is addressed. The Constitution was written to protect the rights of all citizens and has been amended to continue protecting the rights of citizens as times change.

Each citizen of the United States has certain duties and responsibilities as citizens. To be an effective citizen, a person should follow the laws of the country and should take part in making the laws. The way that a citizen can contribute to lawmaking is by actively taking part in elections. The elected officials have the obligation to hear the voices of the people and make laws according to the majority. In order for this system to work, each and every citizen has an obligation to know current issues and be knowledgeable when electing officials to represent the citizens of this country.

In a democracy, there are rights given to all citizens equally. No matter race, religion or other characteristics, these rights do not change. Democracy is not guaranteed, the United States is a democracy because that was the demand of the people. The basic principles include the importance and worth of each citizen, the equality of all persons, the existence of a majority rule system, the necessary acceptance of compromise and individual freedom. Democracy allows people to do what they want within certain legal boundaries. Democracy strives to balance between the freedoms of the citizens and the authorities that control those freedoms.

Citizens should be knowledgeable about democracy and public affairs. Knowledge helps to identify the issues, make comparisons, determine importance of the issues and form an understanding. Knowing the facts helps a citizen separate fact from fiction, identify the causes and effects of events and to form a definite opinion. These opinions should then be used to suggest laws, change laws that aren't working and better the quality of existing laws. If a citizen is not knowledgeable about current issues and public affairs, it allows a small group of individuals to make decisions for the masses. The decisions may not always be for the good of the citizens or country, but were implemented because of lack of concern or knowledge of the majority.

It is important for all citizens to communicate their concerns about current issues to each other in order for them to compare ideas and decide what is best for most citizens. Sharing knowledge can only help to educate each other and to know what issues are most important. This knowledge can help when electing officials to represent each groups most important issues.  Without representation, some issues are never addressed and become major problems. Elected officials should always pay attention to those that elect them in order to provide a more effective government.

Basically, all citizens should be knowledgeable about how government works, about current issues, about laws governing the country and be involved. If not involved, citizens can't complain about how the government works and democracy fails to work the way it is supposed to.

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