Vote Join a political party Help with a campaign Join a civic group Join a community group Give an elected official your opinion on an issue Call Senators and Representatives Publicly support or oppose an issue or policy Run for office Write to a newspaper Citizens play an active part in their communities. When Americans engage in the political process,

Give up loyalty to other countries Defend the Constitution and laws of the United States Obey the laws of the United States Serve in the U.S. military (if needed) Serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed) Be loyal to the United States When the United States became an independent country, the Constitution gave Congress the power to establish

The United States The flag The flag is an important symbol of the United States. The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag states, “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” When we say the Pledge of

Freedom of expression Freedom of speech Freedom of assembly Freedom to petition the government Freedom of religion The right to bear arms Thomas Jefferson said, “[The] best principles [of our republic] secure to all its citizens a perfect equality of rights.” Millions of immigrants have come to America to have these rights. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights give many

Vote in a federal election Run for federal office U.S. citizens have the right to vote in federal elections. Permanent residents can vote in local or state elections that do not require voters to be U.S. citizens. Only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections. U.S. citizens can also run for federal office. Qualifications to run for the Senate or

Serve on a jury Vote in a federal election Two responsibilities of U.S. citizens are to serve on a jury and vote in federal elections. The Constitution gives citizens the right to a trial by a jury. The jury is made up of U.S. citizens. Participation of citizens on a jury helps ensure a fair trial. Another important responsibility of citizens is

Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote).  You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to vote. Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.) A male citizen of any race (can vote). Voting is one of the most important civic responsibilities of citizens in the United States. In a democratic society, the people choose the leaders who will

 Nancy Pelosi  (Nancy) Pelosi The current speaker of the House of Representatives is Nancy Pelosi. For 31 years, Speaker Pelosi has represented San Francisco, California’s 12th District, in Congress. As speaker, she presides over the House of Representatives and leads the majority political party in the House, the Democratic Party. The speaker is second in line to the succession of

• Republican (Party) The two major political parties in the United States today are the Democratic and Republican parties. The current president, Donald Trump, is a member of the Republican Party. Other notable Republican presidents include Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Warren Harding, Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. Notable Democratic presidents include

Democratic and Republican The Constitution did not establish political parties. President George Washington specifically warned against them. But early in U.S. history, two political groups developed. They were the Democratic- Republicans and the Federalists. Today, the two major political parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. President Andrew Jackson created the Democratic Party from the Democratic- Republicans. The