What does it mean to be an informed citizen? And why is it important?
In a letter to Charles Yancy, a neighbor and fellow politician, Thomas Jefferson once wrote the following:
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilisation, it expects what never was and never will be. The functionaries of every government have propensities to command at will the liberty and property of their constituents. There is no safe deposit for these [for liberty and property] but with the people themselves; nor can they be safe with them without information. Where the press is free and every man able to read, all is safe."
As Jefferson explains, citizens in a democracy have a responsibility to remain informed about the issues over which the government exerts some control. In Jefferson's time, of course, the number of issues under consideration by government officials was somewhat more limited. The government as we know it now addresses thousands of issues every day, and it would impossible for one person to understand every one of those issues completely.
So what does it mean to be an informed citizen today? Watch the video below to get some ideas.
Most citizens pay attention to issues that affect them and their families, but truly informed citizens take their civic responsibility a step further: they gather and analyze information about each issue, and they evaluate arguments on both sides. That process involves collecting sources of information, considering the reliability of those sources, identifying instances of bias and propaganda, and then crafting a well-reasoned opinion of their own.
Because our country consists of a very diverse population with equally diverse interests, if you speak with five, ten, or ten thousand different people, each person is likely to care about a slightly different set of issues. This feature of our national identity keeps legislators on their toes and makes for a demanding citizenry. As an American citizen, you’ll need to pay close attention to make sure that the issues you care about most are receiving their fair share of the government’s time and resources.
It’s also important that you remain willing to listen to others about the issues they care about and to share your opinions about what matters most to you. This diversity of needs, aims, and concerns allows everyone to keep tabs on just a small part of the government and to bring attention to an issue that is being ignored and discounted.
The founders of the United States felt strongly that a truly informed citizenry would be essential to the survival of democracy. In fact, many of the protections in the First Amendment are included to ensure that citizens have the rights and the resources to stay informed. Freedom of speech allows citizens to share opinions and ideas without fear of punishment. A free press increases the possibility that all citizens will have access to the same information and plenty of it. Even the freedom to peacefully assembling benefits the flow of information as it allows citizens to gather together and exchange ideas.
The freedoms Americans enjoy encourage critical thinking by presenting each citizen with a number of diverging and conflicting views. This forces us to choose for ourselves what makes the most sense and what would best serve the greater good.
Transcript
Today as the world grows ever more complex, there are more issues for the government to handle than ever before. As an informed citizen, it is your responsibility to become involved in some of those issues. In this lesson, you will learn where to look for information on political issues that interest you, how to analyze different types of information, how to identify facts vs. opinions, how to analyze an argument, and how to identify bias so that you can craft an informed opinion.
Question
Why is the First Amendment so important for informed citizens?
It ensures that citizens have access to information that is uncensored by the government and allows those citizens to share and exchange information without fear of punishment. This exchange of information is necessary to educate all citizens so that they can participate in government.
Most citizens pay attention to issues that affect them and their families, but truly informed citizens take their civic responsibility a step further: they gather and analyze information about each issue, and they evaluate arguments on both sides. That process involves collecting sources of information, considering the reliability of those sources, identifying instances of bias and propaganda, and then crafting a well-reasoned opinion of their own.
