3.+Important+Characteristics+of+Good+Citizenship+in+Different+Life+Stages

=Teaching and the Development of a Citizen throughout the years =

The road to becoming a well developed citizen is a life process. It is important to continue to seek to continually grow politically throughout ones life in order to promote a stable nation. Many simple ways are listed below which can assist a person in actively developing qualities of an involved and critical citizen.

== Child -
 * Be involved in community organizations such as the Boy and Girl Scouts
 * Pick up trash, don't litter
 * Learn what the characteristics of a good citizen are.
 * Honesty is a basic characteristic of good citizenship. Teaching children the value of integrity when they are young is important.[|7]
 * Learning compassion, caring for other people and things in your society.[|7]
 * Respect towards yourself, others, and things you find admirable.[|7]
 * A good citizen takes responsibility for their actions and the groups they belong to. Being responsible requires for a person to act in a appropriate manner and be held accountable for the action. Such can be learned through a involved parent who places small responsibilities on a child such as chores.[|7]
 * Courage is one of the most important aspects of good citizenship. Standing up for what you believe even when it is unpopular is a core value of being a good citizen.[|7]

Teen -
 * Perform a "Random Act of Kindness"
 * Develop a stronger working knowledge of how our government works.
 * Become politically active. Even if you are under 18 there are many ways to do this.
 * Student elections provide opportunities for teens to gather information about candidates and vote based on that information. Voting for class officers is an example of this.
 * If you are 18 then you can vote for the first time. Gathering your own information and making up your own mind is important.
 * If you are not 18 then there are examples of other things you can do. This release from the Secretary of State of Minnesota has many activities those who are not 18 can participate in. Participating in campaign, getting the vote out, grassroots organizing, and serving as an election judge trainee are all examples of what teens can do. All of these activities help make stronger citizens.[|8]

College/Early Adulthood -
 * Become better aware of one's rights and responsibilities.
 * Be involved in democratic processes by vote and encourage others to vote, and openly participating in debates.
 * College affords people many opportunities to become involved in politics at school. Some universities have shared governance. The student body elects members of a government that represents them and decides how some money will be spent.
 * Actively seek information regarding issues in order to engage in appropriate and knowledge debate to contribute to the consensus of opinions.

Adult -
 * Promote a sense of community.
 * Teach children of their heritage, one can not true understand what it means to be an active citizens unless they realize the struggles our country went through in the past to achieve its' present day standing.
 * Teach children the importance of being good citizens and what it takes to be one.
 * One needs obey the law yet openly debate a policy which one does not agree with. It is our responsibly to ensure that the laws which govern us true represent us so as to not allow ourselves to be repressed through unrepresented laws.
 * Willfully participate in Jury duty as within our constitutions such requirement is expressed upon the people to ensure fair treatment.
 * Willfully pay ones taxes as the nation can not function without the support of its' citizens. If we are to prosper as a nation it requires us to allow it to.