What Does It Mean to be a Citizen? How Can We Strengthen Citizenship?
Throughout this course you will examine the structure and function of government. Central to this examination will be a focus on the role and responsibility of the individual. What role do we play in our democracy? What are our responsibilities or obligations? What responsibilities do we have to ensure our institutions of government reflects the core principles and values of the Texas and US Constitution? What responsibilities do we have to hold government accountable through our vote or through other forms of political participation? Are we holding up our end of the bargain in this experiment called American democracy.
Task: Respond to the question, “What does it mean to be a “citizen?” How can we strengthen citizenship in our state?
In your response consider addressing the following (this is NOT a checklist. Please do not treat these mere suggestions as a requirement):
What is citizenship? Throughout the history of our nation, what it means to be a citizen has arguably evolved. Yes, there is a technical definition of citizenship. However, for the purposes of this assignment, consider thinking about citizenship in a broader sense, e.g. global citizenship.
What responsibilities are associated with citizenship? Is it only voting? What does it mean to be a “good” citizen?
What is our civic duty? Has it changed over time? How do factors, such as the voter turnout rate, the role of money in politics, the impact of social media, and the current state of political parties in Texas politics affect our civic duty?
How to Submit:
You have the option of responding to this question in traditional essay format or in a creative manner. Written responses should be a minimum of three pages. Creative responses may include:
A recorded presentation. Your presentation must be accompanied by slides that include citations.
A podcast episode discussing the topic. When submitting the episode, please include citations.
Another creative option of your choice. However, you must cite your sources!
Important things to remember:
This assignment is due Monday, April 22nd.
Assignments will be submitted via the “Assignments” section of Canvas.
Assignments are screened for plagiarism and AI generation. Please do not commit the offense of academic dishonesty.
Late assignments are not accepted.
For more information about how your submission will be evaluated, please see the assignment rubricLinks to an external site..
Other things to note:
Correctly cite any sources (Clearly, this assignment requires the use of outside sources).
Consistent use of one format and citation style is also expected.
You may use whichever format and citation style (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.) you prefer, just be consistent. There is no required citation and format style.
Be careful to use appropriate academic sources, e.g., books, academic journals, and newspapers. You may also reference government websites.