Civic duty

Explore 10 quotes about Civic duty

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.

John F. Kennedy

Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy

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Topic

Citizen and state Civic duty American politics

Speaker

John F. Kennedy

Source

Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy Presidential inaugural address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1961 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Kennedy, John F. "Inaugural Address." 20 Jan. 1961, East Portico, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

Always vote.

Walt Whitman

Democratic Vistas

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Topic

Voting Civic duty Politics

Author

Walt Whitman

Source

Democratic Vistas

Medium

Essay

Genre

Political literature

Statement Type

Orders and commands

Language

English

Time

1871 1870s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Whitman, Walt. Democratic Vistas. Washington D.C.: J. S. Redfield, 1871.

Current Citation

Whitman, Walt. Democratic Vistas, edited by Ed Folsom. University Of Iowa Press, 2009.

A strict observance of the written laws is doubtless one of the highest duties of a good citizen: but it is not the highest. The laws of necessity, of self-preservation, of saving our country when in danger, are of higher obligation.

Thomas Jefferson

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Topic

Rule of law Civic duty Citizenship

Author

Thomas Jefferson

Medium

Letter

Language

English

Time

1810 1810s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Jefferson, Thomas. Letter to John B. Colvin. 20 Sept. 1810.

Current Citation

Jefferson, Thomas. "J. B. Colvin, Sep. 20, 1810." The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Including the Autobiography, The Declaration of Independence & His Public and Private Letters, edited by Adrienne Koch and William Peden. Modern Library, 1998.

To abstain from politics is in itself a political attitude.

Simone de Beauvoir

More information about this quote

Topic

Civic duty Political neutrality Politics

Author

Simone de Beauvoir

Source

La Force de l'âge

Genre

Autobiography and memoir

Language

French

Time

1960 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

De Beauvoir, Simone. La force de l'âge [The Prime of Life]. Gallimard, 1960.

In our own lives, let each of us ask—not just what will government do for me, but what can I do for myself? In the challenges we face together, let each of us ask—not just how can government help, but how can I help?

Richard Nixon

Second Inaugural Address of Richard Nixon

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Topic

Citizen and state Civic duty American politics

Speaker

Richard Nixon

Source

Second Inaugural Address of Richard Nixon Presidential inaugural address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1973 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Nixon, Richard. "Second Inaugural Address." 20 Jan. 1973, East Portico, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

The privileges of American citizenship are so great and its duties so grave that we may well insist upon a good knowledge of every person applying for citizenship and a good knowledge by him of our institutions. We should not cease to be hospitable to immigration, but we should cease to be careless as to the character of it.

Benjamin Harrison

Inaugural Address of Benjamin Harrison

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Topic

Citizenship Immigration Civic duty

Speaker

Benjamin Harrison

Source

Inaugural Address of Benjamin Harrison Presidential inaugural address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1889 1880s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Harrison, Benjamin. "Inaugural Address." 4 Mar. 1889, East Portico, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

What kind of a man are you? You have sat here and voted "guilty" with everyone else because there are some baseball tickets burning a hole in your pocket?

12 Angry Men

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Topic

Civic duty Fair trial Jury system

Speaker

Juror #11

Actor

George Voskovec

Source

12 Angry Men

Medium

Film

Genre

Courtroom drama (film) Drama (film) Courtroom drama Drama

Statement Type

Question

Language

English

Time

1957 1950s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

12 Angry Men. Directed by Sidney Lumet, Orion-Nova Productions and Orion-Nova Pictures, 1957.

From a very early age, I had imbibed the opinion, that it was every man's duty to do all that lay in his power to leave his country as good as he had found it.

William Cobbett

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Topic

Civic duty Citizenship

Author

William Cobbett

Medium

Newspaper

Language

English

Time

1832 1830s 19th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Cobbett, William. Political Register. 22 Dec. 1832.

Every citizen owes to the country a vigilant watch and close scrutiny of its public servants and a fair and reasonable estimate of their fidelity and usefulness.

Grover Cleveland

First Inaugural Address of Grover Cleveland

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Topic

Civic duty Good government

Speaker

Grover Cleveland

Source

First Inaugural Address of Grover Cleveland Presidential inaugural address

Medium

Speech

Genre

Political speech

Language

English

Time

1885 1880s 19th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Cleveland, Grover. "First Inaugural Address." 4 Mar. 1885, East Portico, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.

In reality there is no such thing as not voting: you either vote by voting, or you vote by staying home and tacitly doubling the value of some Diehard's vote.

David Foster Wallace

More information about this quote

Topic

Civic duty Voting Politics

Author

David Foster Wallace

Source

David Foster Wallace on John McCain: 'The Weasel, Twelve Monkeys and the Shrub

Medium

Essay

Language

English

Time

2000 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Wallace, David Foster. "David Foster Wallace on John McCain: 'The Weasel, Twelve Monkeys and the Shrub.'" Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2000.