Sadly the founders of America didn’t think to make a Bill of Responsibilities when they were writing the Bill of Rights. Perhaps they thought they were self evident. Or perhaps they didn’t want to dictate what people should do. In my opinion there are certain things that individuals owe to the state. Being a citizen isn’t just about what rights the state owes you but also a person’s responsibility to the state, and the body politic. Here is my list (so far):
- Responsibility to contribute to the common good through taxes and community service when able
- Responsibility to participate in civic processes (voting, staying informed about public affairs)
- Responsibility to respect the rights of others, recognizing that individual freedoms end where they infringe upon others’ rights
- Responsibility to obey just laws and work through legitimate channels to change unjust ones
- Responsibility to preserve shared resources and environment for future generations
Responsibility to contribute to the common good through taxes and community service
An obvious one is paying taxes. It is a person’s duty to pay taxes. It doesn’t matter if you are a beneficiary of these taxes or not. That is the cost of being part of society. I pay for firefighters, my house has never burned down. I pay for schools, but I don’t have children who attend them. I pay for public transit, but own my own car and don’t need to take the bus. However, there are services that I do need. Infrastructure I do use, and there maybe a service that I use that someone else doesn’t. In reality, it doesn’t matter. It is in all our best interests to have a stable, educated, healthy society.
In many countries, such as Greece for example, tax avoidance is pervasive. This of course leads to a degradation of services. You can argue about how tax dollars are spent. Whether or not they are spent efficiently, but those are different matters. Taxes need to be collected. I saw a tax bill once I really liked that showed a breakdown of where your tax dollars went so you could see how much you individually contributed to each line item. Something like this:
In addition, community service should be available. I’m not a fan of mandatory conscription but I am a fan of mandatory community service for high-school students. Or perhaps do it as a gap year between high school and university. I think it provides a good opportunity for young people to see how things work in the “real world”. It also provides them with a sense of contribution and an understanding that they are part of the body politic. That they are not just consumers, but citizens. It may also help guide their future careers as well.
Responsibility to participate in civic processes (voting, staying informed about public affairs)
Another obvious responsibility in my opinion is the requirement to vote. Voting is compulsory in many countries such as Peru, Australia and Belgium. There are nominal penalties, which can be constructively used if desired. There are also pros and cons to compulsory voting. If the public is disinterested or uninformed they will just vote for the tallest candidate. Although there is some suggestion that compulsory voting works against apathy since everyone needs to to form an opinion. Thomas Jefferson once “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people,”
Another strong pro is that the influence of donors decreases. You don’t need to “Get out the vote” if everyone has to show up anyway. In addition the small percentage of people who currently vote also have their influence decreased. The reason this is important is because currently candidates have to get people riled up enough to make the effort to go out and vote. As a result they start pitching to the extremes and the parties start drifting farther and farther apart. Here is a great video that explains the issue of First Past the Post Voting and how it leads to a two party system.
People have the right not to vote. If they don’t like any of the candidate they should be able to express that. They should have the right to destroy or spoil their ballot, but there isn’t ever a ‘none of the above’ option. However, everyone of legal age should have to participate that is what it means to be in a democracy.
Responsibility to respect the rights of others, recognizing that individual freedoms end where they infringe upon others’ rights
Let me expand on this responsibility in the way I think it balances society. It acknowledges that rights exist within a social context where multiple individuals’ freedoms must coexist. While the state protects our rights, we as individuals have the duty to exercise our freedoms thoughtfully and with restraint. There are times when two individual’s rights might clash.
In practice, this responsibility manifests in several ways:
- Free speech balanced with harm prevention – While you have the right to express yourself, you have a responsibility not to use that freedom to incite violence, spread dangerous misinformation, or engage in harassment that infringes on others’ wellbeing.
- Property rights with consideration – Your right to use your property comes with the responsibility not to use it in ways that substantially harm your neighbors or community (excessive noise, environmental damage, etc.). Most of this is tempered with bylaws and similar municipal regulations, however we all know stories of people skirting the law.
- Religious liberty with mutual respect – Freedom to practice your religion includes the responsibility not to impose religious practices on others or discriminate against those with different beliefs. So if your religion dictates that abortion is wrong you may not force that on other people. If your religion says gay people shouldn’t get married, you cannot force that on others. Conversely no one should be able to compel you abandon your right to freedom of religion just because they have a right to get married.
- Personal autonomy with community consideration – Your freedom to make personal choices carries the responsibility to consider how those choices affect public health, safety, and the functioning of shared systems. You have a right to smoke (personally I don’t think you should have that right but that’s a different post) but you don’t have the right to smoke in a restaurant.
- Equal treatment under law – The responsibility to recognize that your rights don’t supersede those of others, particularly those from marginalized or vulnerable groups.
This is an ethical responsibility that asks citizens to practice self-restraint and empathy. It requires developing the capacity to see beyond self-interest and recognize that a functioning society depends on each person voluntarily limiting their actions when they would harm others. This is one of the reasons I love Japan so much. The government just had to ask people to wear masks. That doing so would help keep everyone safe. That was it. Just ask. No bitched and moaned about their personal freedoms and shit like that. They just recognized their obligations and responsibility and 97% of Japanese did it.
Responsibility to obey just laws and work through legitimate channels to change unjust ones
There is a presumption of compliance here. It is assumed that citizens will follow the laws, even if there is one they personally disagree with, as long as the laws are generally just and constitutional. This presumption is what allows society to function. When I go to the store, they assume I will pay for the products I take. I assume they will not give my change in counterfeit bills and so on.
But we have to have a thoughtful and critical evaluation of those laws as assess their justness rather than blindly following them. This requires a basic understanding of civic knowledge, legal principles and the ability to look at the problem from multiple angles. When a law is unjust we have a responsibility to change it through democratic channels: voting, petitions, contacting representatives and so on. If those channels fail to yield results then peaceful protest should take place.
Failing that then civil disobedience proportional to the unjustness of the law can be used for the more serious moral violations. However participants should be willing to accept the legal consequences of their actions.
Responsibility to preserve shared resources and environment for future generations
This responsibility extends beyond our immediate needs and desires. The Iroquois first nations had this idea called the “Seventh generation principle” which was the philosophy that the decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world seven generations into the future.
This encompasses things like clean air, water and soil but also preserving cultural and historical sites. It includes limiting consumption to sustainable levels and protecting biodiversity. Did you know we passes the earth’s ability to replenish itself in 1986? It’s called Earth Overshoot Day. Or that there used to be over 7,500 varieties of apples but only a few are available commercially?
We have an obligation to future generations to manage the resources we have, and expand renewable resources at levels that can provide much needed power without irreversible damage to the environment. This means managing shared commons like oceans, atmosphere and wilderness areas.
Citizens and governments have an obligation to preserve culture and artifacts and document shared information and intellectual resources for future generations. Libraries are great examples of this. If you don’t have a library card, go get one!
In conclusion
We need to stop referring to ourselves as consumers and start using the word “citizens” more. We need to recognize we have an obligation to each other and society, and we need to start educating our children about what it means to participate in the body politic. These are the 5 things I would put in a “Bill of Responsibilities” what would you add?