- [Instructor] In this video we're going
to learn about the obligations of U.S. citizenship.
Obligations are actions that citizens are required
to fulfill, or they'll face punishment by law.
Unlike the responsibilities of citizenship we talked about
in the last video, which are voluntary actions taken
by good citizens.
The obligations of citizenship are not optional.
So what are some of these obligations?
First, citizens must obey the law.
They're bound to abide by the rules that have been made
by elected representatives in government.
Next, citizens over the age of 18 are required
to serve on juries.
The Constitution guarantees people who've been accused
of a crime the right to a trial by a jury of their peers.
So citizens are obligated to show up
and be those peers when summoned.
Although not everyone who is summoned will be selected
to serve on a jury.
Citizens are also obligated to pay their taxes every year
by April 15th according to state, local, and federal laws.
What other obligations do citizens have?
Young citizens are required to attend school,
as children and teenagers.
Most states require students to go to school
from about the age of five or six, to about 16 to 18.
Although the exact ages and requirements differ
from state to state.
The last two obligations are to defend the Constitution
and the country when called upon.
These are in the naturalization oath
that new citizens must take.
To defend the Constitution and the laws
of the United States means to be loyal to the system
of government, not to try to overthrow the government
or support a particular ruler rather
than the system described in the Constitution.
Citizens are also obligated to defend the country
in a combat or non combat capacity when called upon
by the government.
Although at this time, only men or people assigned male
at birth, must register for selective service
between the ages of 18 and 26.
So now that we've learned about the obligations
of citizenship, let's do a couple of examples.
See if you can identify which obligation each person
in the scenario is or is not meeting.
Okay, first up.
Michel is an avid bicyclist.
He bikes to work everyday.
He knows that he could save about five minutes
off his commute if he cuts through a college campus
and rides on the sidewalks.
However, in New York City, it's illegal
for bicyclists over the age of 13 to ride on sidewalks,
as bikes are vehicles.
So Michel sticks to the bike paths on the street.
All right, so pause the video here
and think about which obligation Michel is following.
If you said obeying the law, you're right.
Okay, next one.
Naomi is 14 and starts tricking here mom
into thinking she's taking the bus,
but instead goes to the library to read all day.
She gets away with it for three days
before her mom finds out.
Which obligation was Naomi neglecting?
She's neglecting her obligation to attend school.
Last one.
To deal with the shortage of personnel in a war,
the U.S. government drafts thousands of men.
One of these men, John Stewart, reports for enlistment
with the U.S. Marine Corps at the young age of 19.
Which obligation is he meeting?
This one is the obligation to defend the country
when called upon.
All right, that's all for now.
Keep practicing in the exercise for this lesson.