Essay Contest Winners
Sohail Jouya
Oak Park High School

"Citizen Responsibility and the Constitution"

John Locke, a British philosopher, became the catalyst of the American Revolution with his democratic approach towards government. His theory explains that governments are created in order to serve and protect society and should progress for citizens. In addition to the purposes of government, he advocated instilling protections which became the pinnacle of democracy. He stated that if a state abuses its power in an arbitrary fashion the citizens are obliged to overthrow the government and create a more democratic one. This ideology was greatly valued by America’s Founding Fathers and was used to shape their newly established nation to include those principles. The framers of the Constitution understood the importance of the consent of the governed and ensured civil liberties will not be taken impudently. The utility of these measures conclude to one end: catering to citizens. In order to maintain this maxim, citizens have a responsibility ensuring a democratic society.

The Constitution acts as the paradigm in the United States including our rights and tasks of government. In a democracy, policy is dictated by public opinion. To keep an administration legitimate, the populace must attempt to ensure that the Constitution’s principles are being followed. Criticism, impeachment, and electing other representatives are powerful tools that are used guaranteeing the implementation of the Constitution. As Americans, we must understand that the document impacts us all and must be preserved in its rhetoric, ambitions, and purposes which must not be interpreted in a manner to accommodate cruel intentions contrary to democracy.

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