“Assess the extent to which the modern state is based on Active Citizenship”
Written by Jamie Howell (November 2006)
Many people are regarded to as being individualists in society rather than active citizens. They not necessarily think only of themselves, but do not participate in social, political and economical activities like voting and re-cycling. An Active Citizen is meant to be someone who takes an active role in the community.
An Active Citizen is someone who:
It could be suggested that voting, which is one of the main elements involved in active citizenship, is relied on heavily by the state. There was once a time in this country when you were expected to vote, despite the fact that only wealthier, more gentrified people could participate. Votes in elections are what put MP’s, whether national or local, into office. The modern state consists of a national leader, which in our country’s case is the Prime Minister Tony Blair. He was unable to walk his way into office! He had to win over the public and thus persuade them into voting for him. So it is voting and therefore acts of Active Citizenship, which helps form, the basis of a modern state, with a leader and his citizens. Though it is true that people engaging in active citizenship helps influence the changes in our state, it has been found in this country that not enough people vote. Around the turn of the 21st century it was found that less than 20% of people vote. This reinstates the idea of citizens being individualists, rather than active and shows that people are not being made to vote, like in Australia where it is compulsory. From this, it suggests that the government is not basing the modern state on active citizenship, as they are not making the public vote. They can chose to by their own will. Society, which forms our state are not voting in high numbers and undertaking a major example of Active Citizenship.
Dating right back to Ancient Greece and ancient Rome, you were expected to be an active member of society in political matters like voting and debating over matters of tax etc. However more recently, instead of trying to persuade people to become active in social and political matters, like in ancient times, our government has been trying to make people aware of our economy and the environment in which we live in and re-cycle. In this modern era, re-cycling is seen as a beneficial factor in active citizenship. This is why the government have been make websites, adverts and campaigns on getting people to re-cycle their rubbish instead of throwing it as waste, to be taken to land fields. It is almost definite that you will find a re-cycle bin somewhere around your local area. Factories have to make new products out of the old product. Re-cycling saves money, as well as preventing pollution and helping protect the environment. This coincides with another element expected in active citizenship of thinking about the welfare of the country and saving our nation money. The welfare of our state depends on active citizenship in re-cycling waste. Although the government has been making radical attempts at endorsing active citizenship, some believe they have not put in quite enough effort. We in Britain are only reusing 10% of our rubbish and are bottom of the re-cycling league in Europe. This suggests that perhaps our state is not based on active citizenship as we the UK are regarded as one of the wealthiest states in Europe. However in terms of re-cycling, of which mainly requires active citizenship, we are the, if you like, “least wealthiest”
Our country’s wealth however is vastly made up from taxes, of which are inflicted on all members of the public. From this you could suggest that it is the people who are making this state rich and the citizens who make our state what it is and that Active Citizenship contributes immensely to the basis of our state. Citizens are taxed on the items they purchase and their income, which they make from working. If someone earns anything up to £30,000.00, they are taxed on 25% of this. Anyone who earns over £30,000.00 in a year is taxed on 40% of the income. Everyone has to contribute to the PAYE system and if they don’t they are quite often sent to prison.
In terms of the Legal System, certain members of society are able to help the law bring criminals to justice. Lay magistrates of who consist of JP’s (Justices of the Peace) are able to help sentence defendants in court. They take on an active role of listening to cases, working with magistrates and undertaking a heavy workload. Lay Magistrates have to have a good character, good understanding and communication, social awareness, maturity and sound temperament, sound judgement and show effective commitment and reliability. The lay magistrates are local people; appointed by the Lord Chancellor. The reason these normal people are allowed to be active in court is because they have local knowledge of a community. However not many people are called up to be part of the laity, and those who are, aren’t paid and are not made to do it compulsory. As well, they do not form the main decisions in court and are rarely used, suggesting that this form of active citizenship in the legal system is not commonly found in the UK.
Another form of active citizenship of where citizens can take active roles in a community is by becoming neighbourhood watch wardens. The main purpose of these wardens is to patrol troubled areas in the aim of preventing some of the main problems faced in our modern state such as domestic burglary, anti-social behaviour and vandalism. Our state is made up of different areas and these troubled areas have neighbourhood wardens carrying out the actions mentioned above, as well as gathering information and getting to know the residents of these areas. They also try to improve the quality of life on the troubled estates. However, as they are just normal citizens, they do not have as much power as the police force, housing association or local authority. The wardens have to report to them on evidence of criminal behaviour and anti-social behaviour and have to be dressed in purple. This suggests that although the state does rely on their services in helping prevent crime, theses active citizens have little influence in enforcing actions that form the way we pursue our state.
Neighbourhood Watch are also a group of active citizens who take active roles in their community by helping improve the living conditions of areas in means of trying to prevent criminal activity. Neighbourhood Watch came about in the 1980s when the government invited individual members of a local community to become active citizens and help prevent crime in their neighbourhood. The people involved in these schemes look out for signs of suspicious or criminal behaviour in their area and instruct people on what they have seen – including other members of the community. However the problems seen with this scheme and the Neighbourhood Watch is that many people are scared to admit to being at the hands of criminal activity and there are not enough schemes in enough areas to really put a stamp down on crime. Though they form part of the basis of our modern state, they have no real influence and popularity in areas, other than places of middle class, to impose a big mark on our country.
In the community, anyone can help prevent crime. It doesn’t have to be just wardens and neighbourhood watch. If someone is committing a criminal offence or looks like they are in the process, a citizen can arrest them themselves under a “Citizens Arrest”. This means that anyone has the right and freedom to be an active member of the community in our state, although quite often they do not have the respect and authority that certain services do. Again with a “citizens arrest”, there must be evidence for the arrest and the person who has made the arrest must notify the police immediately.
It’s not just in preventing crime where citizens can be involved or involve themselves in active citizenship. In certain areas of academia like for instance Citizenship or Chemistry, you can be called upon to do voluntary work or community service. In these two forms of active citizenship, you can still be an individualist in society, which has been regarded to be how the general citizen wants to be in society, but you can also help the community at the same time. You can be sent to do work for people at places such as a hospital, the council, police force etc and gain experience in one of these things you may wish to undertake in the future. However in voluntary/community work, you have to do it by someone else’s request, as well as by your own accord and do not get paid. Also, in terms of how the state is based on active citizenship, you are not able to make decisions, which will change certain ways of society, despite that you are helping improve certain elements of the state.
In conclusion though there are many forms of active citizenship available to citizens that can be undertaken to help improve many different elements of the state, many people see their own personal lives as the most important issue. forms of active citizenship do not lead to being able to make decisions which could change the state, for better or for worse.