Citizen Responsibility and Voting Law
Citizen - A native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its
government and is entitled to its protection
Citizenship - Membership in a community (neighborhood, school, region, state, nation, world)
with its accompanying rights, responsibilities, and dispositions
Allegiance - The loyalty that citizens owe to their country
Civic Values - Important principles that serve as the foundation of our democratic form of
government. These values include justice, honesty, self-discipline, due process of law, equality,
majority rule with respect for minority rights, and respect of self, others, and property
Civic Duty - The duties of a citizen (mandatory). These duties include paying taxes, obeying
laws, jury duty, and serving as a witness
Tax - The charge against a citizen's person or property or activity for the support of government
Laws - The duty of everyone to follow the rules and regulations created by the government
Jury Duty - The responsibility of every citizen to serve on a jury when called
Selective Service - The duty of males, 18 years or older, to register for the draft
Civic Responsibility - The responsibilities of a citizen (voluntary). These responsibilities
include voting properly and wisely in elections, being an active member in the community and
civic organizations, and being well-informed on current affairs or issues
Vote - Express a choice or opinion
Suffrage - The legal right to vote, extended to African Americans by the Fifteenth Amendment,
to women by the Nineteenth Amendment, and to people over the age of 18 by the Twenty-sixth
Amendment
Mandate - A command from the voters
Recall - An election in which voters can remove an incumbent from office by popular vote
Absentee Ballot - A paper ballot used by people who must vote in advance because they cannot
be present on Election Day
Prospective Voting - Basing voting decisions on well-informed opinions and consideration of
the future consequences of a given vote
Retrospective Voting - Basing voting decisions on reactions to past performance; approving the
status quo or signaling a desire for change
Crossover Voting - A voter who is registered as a member of one political party but who votes
in the primary of another party
Electorate - The citizens who are eligible to vote
Electoral College - A body of people representing the states of the U.S., who formally cast votes
for the election of the president and vice president
Closed Primary - Primary available only to a single party
Open Primary - Primary available to all voters
Primary Election - Election in which voters decide which of the candidates within a party will
represent the party in the general election
Runoff Primary - A second primary election between the two candidates receiving the greatest
number of votes in the first primary
General Election - Election in which voters decide which candidates will actually fill elective
public offices