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UNIT 6 What do you think are the greatest challenges of American citizenship today? – Why and how does constitutional democracy in the United States depend on the active participation of its citizens – What are the advantages and disadvantages, if any, of being a citizen of both the United States and the state in which you reside? United States Governments 1 national 50 state 89,476 local http://www.census.gov/govs/www/index.html Activity • How many units of government are there where you live? • Which units of government affect you the most on a daily basis? • Which units of government do you care about most? Why? Washington 1 state 39 counties 281 cities 1229 special districts Citizen responsibilities • Vote intelligently • “Participate” • Serve Challenges of voting intelligently • Understanding “the system” • Information • News • Opinion • Advertising • Making time National elections • President • Senators (2) • House of Representatives (9) State elections • • • • • • • • • • • • Governor Lt. Governor Legislature Secretary of State Attorney General Superintendent of Public Instruction Treasurer Insurance Commissioner Auditor Commissioner of Public Lands Judges (superior, district, municipal, pro tem & 29 appellate) Initiatives, referenda, referrals Local elections • • • • • Mayor City Council/Commission Municipal judge County officials Special districts • • • • • School Library Fire Water/sewer Etc. Participation • Federalist #10 • Fundamental principles • Enlightened selfinterest Seeking non-governmental solutions • NGO’s – Ringo (religious) – Bingo (business) – Ingo (international http://library.duke.edu/research/subject/guides/ngo_guide/ Service • Jury service • Boards/Commissions • Private • Public • Office holding Dual American citizenship Dilemmas • Hard to understand • Conflicting loyalties/duties Global responsibilities? • Declaration of Independence • Universal Declaration of Human Rights Why bother? Limited government assumes citizen participation “Ownership” If we are not willing to rule in our turn, other men (Hegel’s civil citizens, professional politicians and professional revolutionaries, corporate bureaucrats, and so on) will rule out of theirs. They will call us citizens, but we will be something less. Perhaps I should say they do call us citizens, but we are something less. Michael Walzer - Obligations An alternative view We all must obey the laws. Unless we care about an issue or candidate, we have no political obligations. Voting and participation are opportunities, not rights or duties. • Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead • Where. . . do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. . . Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Eleanor Roosevelt • You could start by convincing a friend. Aung San Suu Kyi