Voting is the first thing that comes to mind for most Americans when they think of civic duty. But civic duty means much more than simply going to the polls.
It also means being engaged in your community … every day of the year, not just on Election Day.
And getting involved can be pretty easy. Here are five ways to get involved in your community.
But first: Does getting involved even matter?
What is civic duty?
America was built on the concept of self-government — the idea that citizens should be allowed to choose, and are best suited to choose, how to live their lives.
But self-government works best when citizens are engaged. Involvement helps us understand the challenges and opportunities our communities face. It’s how we learn what problems need to be solved, and how we get creative about solutions.
For example, let’s say you learn at your child’s Back to School Night that teachers need more books for their classroom libraries. Parents can work together through the PTA to help raise money to purchase books.
But you never would have known about that need if you’d stayed at home on Back to School Night.
Here are five other ways to exercise your civic duty.
If you want to start now, take one small step with AFP’s toolkit for getting more involved.
1. Understand your rights and responsibilities
When we think of freedom, we think of our rights: the right to worship how we want, or the right to choose who we want to represent us in Congress or the White House.
But freedom depends not only on these rights, but on citizens’ understanding, valuing, and responsibly exercising them.
Founding documents like the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and The Federalist Papers can help better understand principles like individual rights, equality, self-government, and limited government.
Other historians have found Americans’ willingness to exercise their civic duty — to come together to solve problems — to be our country’s greatest strength.
In the 1800s, French historian Alexis de Tocqueville traveled extensively throughout America and observed that “when an American asks for the cooperation of his fellow citizens, it is seldom refused; and I have often seen it afforded spontaneously, and with great goodwill.”
Tocqueville wrote a book called “Democrary in Amerca” that does a great job answering the question, “What is civic duty?”
2. Learn how government affects your community
Looking for an easy way to start exercising your civic duty? Attend a meeting of your town council or school board.
Paying attention to decisions made at the local level — and asking how those decisions affect your family, workplace, and neighborhood — is a great way to strengthen your community.
Here’s a short roadmap to getting more involved:
- Follow an issue you care about like school funding or housing development
- Learn which public officials or agencies are responsible for those issues
- Attend a public meeting or hearing
- Ask questions and share personal experiences
- Consider whether a policy reflects the community’s needs and values
When citizens speak up, it holds elected leaders accountable. And it’s how you can help shape the decisions government officials make.
3. Participate in your local community
If you’re shy about public speaking, there are plenty of other ways to shape what is happening in your community.
Giving your time and talent is a great way to participate and help solve local challenges. You can:
- Donate to a local food pantry
- Work with a neighborhood group
- Mentor a young person in your workplace
- Volunteer at a local animal shelter
You don’t have to go to a town council meeting, state capital, or Washington, D.C., to participate in civic life. Sometimes it’s as simple as regularly checking on an elderly neighbor who doesn’t have family nearby.
Small acts can have a large impact and make your community stronger.
4. Make your voice heard by public officials
Let’s say you do want to help shape public policy in your state or in the nation’s capital. There are plenty of ways you can do that without ever leaving your community.
Your elected officials and their staff hear from constituents every day. So, you can:
- Contact an elected official through social media
- Call a member of Congress
- Write letters to your U.S. senators
- Craft a column for your local newspaper asking a lawmaker to solve a problem in your community
You also don’t have to do it alone.
Americans for Prosperity has grassroots chapters across the country that help people turn their concerns into action. Through your local AFP chapter, you can connect with other advocates, attend events, contact lawmakers, make phone calls, knock on doors, and take action on issues affecting your community.
Find your AFP state chapter to learn what’s happening near you and how you can get involved.
And when you speak up, share your personal experiences. That helps public officials better understand how policies affect the people they represent.
5. Volunteer your time and talents in ways that matter to you
Exercising your civic duty shouldn’t feel like a chore — and it won’t if you focus on issues and challenges that are meaningful to you and your family.
If you have children, coaching a youth sports team is a meaningful way to get involved.
If you are a business leader, mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs will ensure economic vibrancy in your community.
If you love animals, volunteering at a local hospital to bring emotional support dogs to patients will bring comfort to people in need.
Civic involvement looks different for different people.
But it all starts with the same attitude: a willingness to use your unique skills and aptitudes to improve the world around you.
Putting civic duty into practice
A healthy civic life depends on what citizens do between elections.
These five actions will help you better understand your community, connect with people around you, and make your voice heard.
They will also help inform how you exercise that essential civic duty: voting.
Ready to get more involved in your community and exercise your civic duty today? Take one small step.
