A citizen is a person who has been officially recognised by a country as an individual who lives there and who has rights, such as the right to vote in elections, access to welfare benefits, education and health care. Citizenship is acquired either by birth or, in some states, through ‘naturalisation’. Citizenship has long been central to discussions of modern politics, law and society, involving the study of political theory, sociology, history, philosophy and cultural studies. Disagreements about citizenship centre around four areas: over the precise definition of each element (legal, political and identity); over their relative importance; over the causal and/or conceptual relations between them; and over appropriate normative standards.
In early 2018, a Pew Research Center survey found that most Americans believed it was very important to be a good citizen and included such traits as voting in every election, paying taxes, always following the law and volunteering to help others. Other responsibilities of citizenship include learning about government and politics and protesting when government actions are wrong.
Another important trait of a good citizen is patriotism, which is love for one’s country and devotion to it. Patriotism is a powerful force that pushes people to protect their nation from harm and to strive for its greatest potential. In order to be a true patriot, one must love their country enough to do anything for it, even if that means making personal sacrifices.
To be a good citizen, you must also be productive and contribute to the economic well-being of your nation. This includes providing the workforce with skills necessary to be successful in today’s world, such as technical skills, legal skills, medical skills and so on. Taking advantage of educational opportunities is a key aspect of being a productive citizen and can help you achieve your career goals as well as make an impact on the country’s economy.
The more you learn, the better citizen you will become. This can be done through reading books and articles on politics and current events, watching documentaries, listening to podcasts and engaging in online debates. This will teach you about the various views of different politicians and allow you to make up your own mind about what you believe is best for your country.
You should be a good steward of the environment. This means recycling as much as possible and reducing your energy usage. By reusing and recycling, you are helping to keep waste materials out of landfills, rivers, lakes and oceans and saving money for your country by not needing to purchase raw material from other countries. Being a good steward of the environment also helps your country’s natural resources last longer and reduces the need for foreign oil. Lastly, a good citizen respects other people’s property and is polite. This shows that you are a considerate and helpful person who is willing to put others before yourself. This will help build a positive community and a strong democracy.