1. What does it mean to live in a democracy?
What is your role as a citizen
Cassandra Brown
7/24/12

2. What does it mean to live in a
democracy?
 By the people for the people!
 Declaration of Independence– July 4th, 1776
 Original purpose = announcing independence
 Ultimately a formal explanation of why congress voted
on July 2nd to declare independence from Great Britain
 Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
 Reminds us who we are as a country and allows us to ask
if we are following our own intentions

3. What does it mean to live in a
democracy?
 Citizens living in democracy have responsibilities
 Choose our leaders
 Keep informed about what is going on with our
government
 make community and neighborhood good places to live
 Democracy needs active citizens in order to work
 Citizens have say over how they are governed by voting
at elections and choosing their representatives.

4. What does it mean to live in a
democracy?
 There are many good things about living in a democracy,
but there are things that threaten it as well
 Cornel West: "We must deal with the Anti-Democratic
happenings or we will lose democracy”.
 Dr. West states three “dogmas” that may threaten our
democracy
 Free- market fundamentalism
 Aggressive militarism
 Escalating authoritarianism

5. What does it mean to live in a
democracy?
 These three dogmas may be threatening democracy
led to corporate
dominated political economy (salesmen focused on $
and people of wealth's requests)
forced us to invade and use
power and force to conquer innocent individuals.
citizens live in fear and
worry about safety rather than independence

6. What is your role as a citizen?
 Thoreau: “People's first obligation is to do what they
believe is right and not to follow the law dictated by
the majority.”
 Thoreau: “The best government is less government.”
 Do what you think is morally and ethically right
 Vote intelligently and support who ever gets elected

7. What is your role as a citizen?
 A student from our class, Todd Kuikka, said in a discussion,
much of the success of the US military and NATO depends
upon individuals that are willing to cross personal moral
barriers in an effort to support ideological aspirations of
those that govern them.
 Some people can continue to sit back and point out every
negative thing in this country, but they are not doing
anything about it.
 That’s where our citizens who seek change and are willing
to cross those barriers will come into play.

8. What is your role as a citizen?
 Comply with US laws
 Executive, the legislature, and
judiciary
 written law put down by a legislature
 body of law that governs the
activities of administrative agencies of government (ex:
rule making)
 legal tradition of English law

9. What is your role as a citizen?
 Voting!
 Many people have died to give us the right to
vote, we should exercise our power to vote.
 If you don’t vote, don’t complain.
 Even if you live in a state where your vote wont matter
much for who is elected president, your vote will still
make a difference for who is elected for your state and
local offices.
 Those people will end up having an impact on your life
in some way or another.

10. What is your role as a citizen?
 Volunteer
 Can volunteer time and effort to share skills and talent.
 In turn, you can meet new friends and make a difference
in the world.
 Reasons why a person may want to volunteer
 if they are interested in teaching and working with children
and/or senior citizens, if they want to contribute their efforts
to wildlife and environmental causes, if they want to assist
with social and community issues, and many other reasons!