Democratic Virtues: Law Abidingness, Civility, and Responsibility

To ensure proper success of a democracy, a form of government in which the power is vested in the people, citizens must have certain excellences that contribute to the overall society. Granted equal rights and privileges regarding expression, worship, and voting, in addition to the unalienable rights of the Constitution and the equal opportunity to participate directly in governance, there are certain character traits of democratic citizens that contribute to the functioning of the government. These virtues allow citizens to reach their optimal function as democratic citizens. By possessing the virtues of law abidingness, civility, and responsibility, citizens in a democracy can reach their optimum function as willing, informed and engaged

While distinct character traits, these virtues often overlap as they influence the excellency of a citizen. When these traits are absent, it impedes the success of the democracy. In order for a citizen to be law abiding, they must freely obey the law of the state, thereby maintaining social order and a harmonious society. Next, a responsible citizen will act with civility when engaging in political discussion. On the basis that citizens’ mutual deliberation and reflection will properly inform their public policy decisions and solutions to problems, citizens must being able to speak and to listen to one another with openness or the requisite discourse of viable democracy collapses as well as a free society. A responsible citizen will participate in the democratic process, stay informed of political issues, and participate in the betterment of the community, promoting the common good. By staying familiar with politics and consistently voting, citizens keep the government accountable while electing the best representatives to lead society. A responsible citizen will also volunteer in the community when there is a need, helping others by offering time, effort and resources instead of waiting for government to address it. Lastly, there is an overlap between the virtues of law abidingness and responsibility in the situations of paying income tax, serving on a jury