Introduction
Civic Responsibility: "responsibility of a citizen". This is comprised of actions and attitudes associated with democratic governance and social participation.
Examples of Civic Responsibility are participation in government, church and volunteering. The actions are advocacy for various causes in political, economic, civil, environmental or quality life issues.
Process
Civic Responsibility dates back to ancient Rome because people wanted to contribute to Roman Society. In 1787 the constitution officially sanctioned civic responsibility. The constitution stated that "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the U.S". 143 years later in the 1930's civic responsibility was tied to common wealth perspectives such as as volunteering fire departments or the Civilian Conservation Corps. 30 years later civic responsibility became more popular. The Cold War and nuclear threats worried citizens at this time, so people relied on one another to correct justice and achieve greatness. Participation continued and provided success in the Civil Rights movement lead by Martin Luther King. Unfortunately from 1980's-1990's many organizations lost memberships, but in 2001 volunteering began to pick back up again.
Conclusion
Important People in Civic Responsibility:
- Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
- President Thomas Jefferson
- Martin Luther King, Jr