Civic Responsibility and Civil Disobedience Lecture Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on citizenship, civic responsibility, civil disobedience, and the reciprocal relationship between citizens and the government.

Citizen

A free member of a community who holds rights and responsibilities designed for the benefit and sake of the whole community.

Civic

A term roughly referring to things relating to citizens in a broad sense, or things that are important to all citizens, operating essentially as a synonym for public.

Civil Behavior

Behavior associated with being peaceful, orderly, or courteous, understood as conduct appropriate to members of a civilized political community.

Civic Responsibility

The principle that individuals are not just accountable to other people, but are actually responsible for other people, serving as an active, listening, and helping presence in their community.

Civil Disobedience

The idea recognizing that a free citizen's responsibility includes questioning whether those in power use force in a justified way, and nonviolently questioning, challenging, or resisting laws when necessary.

Freedom of Speech

The right and responsibility that allows citizens to think freely, speak freely, and challenge ideas, serving as the foundational freedom from which other civic rights stem.

Reciprocal Relationship (Civic Dynamic)

The interactive dynamic between a government and its citizens, where each party provides specific rights and fulfills responsibilities toward the other.

Government Rights

The powers granted to political authorities to make laws to shape society and to strategically use force or violence to fulfill their duties.

Government Responsibilities

The obligations of those in power to provide safety and security, protect the rights of citizens, and work for the betterment and well-being of the citizenry.

Citizen Responsibilities

The duties owed by individuals in a society, including paying taxes, actively shaping political conversation, and working to improve the community as a whole.

Citizen Rights

Protections and powers granted to free individuals—such as safety, political influence, and speech—intended to empower citizens to influence and better their community.

Jim Crow Laws

Historical laws mentioned during the civil rights movement that denied Black individuals equal rights, serving as a key target for nonviolent civil disobedience and peaceful protests.