Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship: What Can You Do?
Students are asked to speak about the following topic.
Civic participation is essential to self-government. There are many ways to participate and contribute to preserving and protecting democracy, including becoming an informed citizen, voting, serving on a jury, serving in the armed forces, paying taxes, running for office, and public protest/petitioning the government. Examine one (or several) of the rights and duties of citizenship, explore its/their history (including barriers and change over time), and discuss its/their importance and relevance today.
Suggestions to examine:
- Informed citizenship
- Voting
- Jury Service
- Serving in armed forces
- Petition government/Public protest
- Paying taxes
- Running for Federal/State/Local Political Office
Below is a list of resources in a searchable table. Search using topic (resource type).
Disinformation
PEN America This webpage contains a variety of resources related to fighting disinformation in 2024, including reports and useful tools ...
Knowing the News: A Media Literacy & Disinformation Defense Project
PEN America Knowing the News, a series of virtual media literacy activities, is part of PEN America’s response to the ...
News Literacy Project
News Literacy Project The News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan education nonprofit, is building a national movement to advance the practice ...
Center for an Informed Public
University of Washington The mission of the Center for an Informed Public is to resist strategic misinformation, promote a society, ...
U.S. Media Literacy Policy Report 2023
Media Literacy Now There is far more widespread acceptance today than ever that media literacy instruction is essential to K-12 ...
10 Ways You Can Practice Civic Engagement from Home
Up to Us An infographic, and explanatory information, about practicing civic engagement in your community. Read More ...
Voting Rights Laws and Constitutional Amendments
USAGov Federal laws govern voting rights. Learn about the laws and how they protect your rights and make it easier ...
Voting Rights: A Short History — Timeline
Carnegie Corporation of New York This timeline provides a birds-eye view of voting milestones in the U.S., focusing on both ...
Voting Rights Timeline
Annenberg Classroom This timeline provides milestones in U.S. history as voting rights have evolved. Read More ...
Ensure Every American Can Vote
Brennan Center for Justice Voting is the most basic right in our democracy, but too many people are locked out ...
Growing Racial Disparities in Voter Turnout, 2008-2022
Brennan Center for Justice The gap in voter participation between Black and white Americans decreased following the civil rights revolution ...
Most Americans Say It’s Very Important to Vote to Be A Good Member of Society
Pew Research Center Pew Research Center investigated the American public opinion about what it means to be a good member ...
Lift Every Voice: The Urgency of Universal Civic Duty Voting
The Brookings Institution The purpose of this report is to propose universal civic duty voting as an indispensable and transformative ...
My Life as Chief Judge: The Chapter on Juries
Hon. Judith S. Kaye NYSBA Journal Former Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye reflects on the State's jury system, its history ...
Juror Orientation: Videos & Scripts
New York State Unified Court System These videos provide orientation to petit and grand jury service, as well as information ...
A New Yorker’s Guide to Jury Duty
Gothamist This article covers answers to some of the most common questions about New York State jury service. Read More ...
Petit Juror’s Handbook
New York State Unified Court System This handbook is for citizens summoned to serve as jurors in New York State ...
Grand Juror’s Handbook
New York State Unified Court System This handbook is for citizens summoned to serve as grand jurors in New York ...
Gender-Based Jury Exclusion
Equal Justice Initiative This sidebar provides some history about gender-based exclusion from jury service. Read More ...
A History of Racial Discrimination in Jury Selection
Equal Justice Initiative This report describes the history of racial discrimination in jury selection, why representative juries are necessary, and ...
Batson v. Kentucky (1986)
U.S. Supreme Court Batson, a Black man, was on trial charged with second-degree burglary and receipt of stolen goods. During ...
Taylor v. Louisiana (1975)
U.S. Supreme Court Billy J. Taylor was indicted on kidnapping charges by the grand jury of St. Tammany Parish. The ...
Selective Service System Registration
Selective Service System This webpage provides information about who can register with the Selective Service System as well as information ...
Our Forces
U.S. Department of Defense This webpage contains links to each of the United States' military branches. Each branch then provides ...
Requirements to Join the U.S. Military
USAGov Every branch of the military sets its own standards for enlisting. This webpage describes the different requirements for each ...
What to Know About High School JROTC Programs
U.S. News & World Report This article describes how JROTC programs can teach students a broad range of life skills ...
Opinion: Here’s How My Military Service Prepared Me for A Life of Civic Engagement
The San Diego Union Tribune Navy veteran Shawn VanDiver describes how the military community has an obligation to integrate into ...
Is US Military Service a Career Choice or a Civic Duty?
Vision of Humanity Author Jomana Amara writes about how increasingly, the U.S. regards military service as a personal and professional ...
Military Leadership Requires Good Citizenship
U.S. Naval Institute This article calls for the military to address civic illiteracy in the ranks to promote a healthy ...
Increase Civics Education for Service Members to Close the Civil-Military Divide
Stars and Stripes This article highlights how military basic training does not include civic education, to the detriment of service ...
Protect the Protest
Amnesty International This article describes how protest has been a powerful tool for change that should be protected, while governments ...
Know Your Rights: Demonstrations and Protests
American Civil Liberties Union This document provides general guidelines for protestors, as well as answers to specific problems a protestor ...
Right to Assemble and Petition
National Constitution Center This article provides definitions for assemble and petition, and how they differ from speech. Read More ...
Right to Petition
American Bar Association This article unpacks petitions--what they are, why we use them, how they work, and their legal requirements ...
The Right to Freedom of Assembly
Annenberg Classroom This chapter describes the history of the freedom of assembly in the United States, from the colonial era ...
The Right to Petition
Annenberg Classroom This chapter describes the history of petitioning the government in the United States. It includes a brief case ...
Taxpayer Bill of Rights
Internal Revenue Service Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing ...
Taxes: The Price We Pay for Government
Tax Foundation This resource describes the different tax types that governments rely on to fund priorities like infrastructure, national defense, ...
Understanding Taxes Student Site
Internal Revenue Service The IRS provides this set of 38 Understanding Taxes student lessons. They are divided into two content ...
Sixteenth Amendment Timeline
Annenberg Classroom This timeline explores the history of taxation and reactions to it in the United States. Read More ...
Sixteenth Amendment (1913)
Annenberg Classroom This resource provides the language of the Sixteenth Amendment (1913) as well as information about tax protests and ...
Running for Office
New York State Board of Elections New York State provides information about qualifications for statewide office, guidance about completing a ...
Americans’ Dismal Views of the Nation’s Politics: Candidate Quality and What Drives Elected Officials to Run for Office
Pew Research Center Americans have long been critical of politicians and skeptical of the federal government. But today, Americans’ views ...
Young People Should Start Running for Local and Statewide Office
Teen Vogue In this op-ed, Run for Something co-executive director Amanda Litman explains why young people need to get into ...
NY& Running for Office
New York Now/PBS This video reviews the basics of running for an elected position in local or state government. Watch ...