Five Tenets and Five Civic Virtues

5 Tenets of the American Creed

Individualism, liberty, equality, constitutionalism, and democracy

Individualism

The idea that people should act based on their own belief

Liberty

Government cannot interfere with a person’s freedom/rights

Equality

Freedom without discrimination of any kind

Constitutionalism

The government should be limited by a written constitution

Democracy

People hold power and government serves the people

Five Civic Virtues

Civic knowledge, civic participation, self reliance, self-restraint, patriotism

Civic Knowledge

The idea that each citizen should have basic knowledge about the country’s government

Civic Participation

The belief that the citizens have participation in what goes on in the nation’s government, allowing it to be a proper democracy

Self-Reliance

The idea that citizens should act together and separate in society

Weakest Link Theory

Life is a system of multiple elements, and when the weakest element in a system falls, the whole system falls

Self-Restraint

The ability to control your actions/emotions

Patriotism

Love for a country based on reasons