3,+Duties+and+Traits+of+a+Good+Citizen

**Duties of a Good Citizen** //“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.” // - George Jean Nathan, American Journalist, Critic, Essayist and Editor, (1882-1958).   //Click the following link to watch this video. [] //
 * Paying Taxes

  
 * Upholding the laws and expectations of our country, even while visting other countries
 * Voting
 * If possible, try to prevent or report a bad situation or crime
 * Help other citizens in need

//Being involved in political affairs is the duty of a good citizen. While this involvement can entail extremes such as running for political office, such involvement can also be as simple as following the laws of the Constitution, using a passport for travel, keeping up on current events, and abiding by generally accepted forms of behavior and moral values. While often overlooked, the forementioned are important elements of a citizen's involvement in political affairs.

Below are four additional very important areas in which it is imperative for citizens to be involved in and/or aware of.//



//The American system of trial by jury is unique. No other nation relies so heavily on ordinary citizens to make its most important decisions about law, business practice, and personal liberty--even death. Ideally, Americans take their participation seriously lest they someday stand before their peers seeking justice."// -Stephen J. Adler, journalist and author



YOU MUST PAY TAXES. WHY? THE FOUR "R"s (an excerpt from [])

Taxation has four main purposes or effects: **__ Revenue, Redistribution, Repricing, and Representation. __**

The main purpose is **__ [|revenue] __** : taxes raise money to spend on roads, schools and hospitals, and on more indirect government functions like market regulation or legal systems. This is the most widely known function.

A second is **__ [|redistribution] __**. Normally, this means transferring wealth from the richer sections of society to poorer sections.

A third purpose of taxation is **__ [|repricing] __**. Taxes are levied to address externalities: [|tobacco] is taxed, for example, to discourage smoking, and many people advocate policies such as implementing a [|carbon tax].

A fourth, consequential effect of taxation in its historical setting has been **__ [|representation] .__** The American revolutionary slogan "no taxation without representation" implied this: rulers tax citizens, and citizens demand accountability from their rulers as the other part of this bargain. Several studies have shown that [|direct taxation] (such as income taxes) generates the greatest degree of [|accountability] and better governance, I [|ndirect taxation] tends to have smaller effects. For more information, forms, and guidelines, go to [|www.irs.gov] or click on the icon to the left.
 * [[image:http://www.irs.gov/irs/cda/common/images/irslogo.gif caption="Internal Revenue Service United States Department of the Treasury" link="http://www.irs.gov/"]] ||
 * Internal Revenue Service United States Department of the Treasury ||

**Traits of a Good Citizen**

//<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">“ A passive and ignorant citizenry will never create a sustainable world." // <span style="display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; text-align: center;">- Andrew Gaines, creativity trainer, sustainability philosopher, b 1938
 * Of moral excellence; upright
 * Benevolent; kind
 * Loyal; staunch
 * Socially correct; proper
 * Worthy of respect; honorable