Taking part
civic duty
What citizenship legally requires as against what it invites. Only a few things are compulsory: obeying the law, paying taxes, jury service, and draft registration where it applies.
In full
Voting, attending meetings, commenting on rules, and running for office are rights rather than obligations in American law, unlike the compulsory voting some countries use. The distinction matters when people describe participation as a duty: it is a civic norm and an argument, not a legal requirement, and it is worth being precise about which is being claimed.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.