Responsibilities of Citizenship

Rights Come With Responsibilities

In Canada, rights come with responsibilities. Discover Canada lists six specific responsibilities of citizenship. The test commonly asks "Name three responsibilities of citizenship," so memorize the full list and be ready to recognize any one of them.

The Six Responsibilities

• Obeying the law — one of Canada's founding principles is the rule of law.
• Taking responsibility for oneself and one's family — getting a job and working hard.
• Serving on a jury — a legal requirement when you are called.
• Voting in elections — federal, provincial/territorial, and local.
• Helping others in the community — volunteering your time without pay.
• Protecting and enjoying our heritage and environment — avoiding waste and pollution.

Notice that paying taxes, learning both official languages, and serving in the military are NOT on this list as core responsibilities. Distractor answers often slip these in.

Each Responsibility in Detail

Obeying the Law and the Rule of Law

Obeying the law is first because of the rule of law — the principle that individuals and governments are regulated by laws, not by arbitrary actions, and that no person or group is above the law. Even people in high positions, including the government itself, must obey the law.

The test may phrase this as "What is the rule of law?" The answer: everyone, including the government, must follow the law.

Taking Responsibility for Oneself and One's Family

Getting a job, taking care of your family, and working hard in keeping with your abilities are described as important Canadian values. Work contributes to personal dignity, self-respect, and Canada's prosperity.

Serving on a Jury

When you are called to serve on a jury, you are legally required to serve. Jury service is described as a privilege that makes the justice system work, because justice depends on impartial juries made up of citizens.

Common trap: answers that call jury duty "optional" or "voluntary" are wrong. It is a legal obligation when you are summoned.

Voting in Elections

The right to vote comes with a responsibility to vote in federal, provincial or territorial, and local elections. Voting is done by secret ballot — no one can see how you voted. To vote in a federal election you must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years old on election day.

Helping Others in the Community

Millions of volunteers freely donate their time without pay — helping people in need, assisting at a child's school, working at a food bank or charity, or helping newcomers integrate. Volunteering is also a way to gain skills, make friends, and build job contacts.

Protecting Our Heritage and Environment

Every citizen has a role in avoiding waste and pollution and protecting Canada's natural, cultural, and architectural heritage for future generations.

Defending Canada — A Common Trap

There is NO compulsory military service in Canada. Serving in the regular Canadian Armed Forces (navy, army, air force) is described as a noble way to contribute and a good career, but it is entirely voluntary.

You may also serve part-time in the reserves or militia, join the cadets, or serve in the Coast Guard or local emergency services such as a police or fire department.

Why This Matters for the Exam

Responsibilities questions are among the easiest points on the test — they are factual recall. The reliable winners are: "Name three responsibilities" (obey the law, serve on a jury, vote, help others) and "Is military service mandatory?" (no).

Worked example. Question: "Which is a responsibility of citizenship?" Options: paying for your own passport, serving on a jury, joining a political party, owning property. Step 1: scan the list of six. Step 2: only "serving on a jury" appears. Answer: serving on a jury. The other three are never listed as responsibilities.

Distinguishing Rights From Responsibilities

The test often pairs rights and responsibilities to see if you can tell them apart. Voting is the classic example — it is both a right (you are entitled to vote) and a responsibility (you are expected to vote). When a question asks specifically for a responsibility, voting and obeying the law are always safe choices.

Use this two-column model to keep them straight:

A Memory Hook for the Six Responsibilities

To recall the six quickly, group them as three civic duties (obey the law, serve on a jury, vote) and three contributions (support your family, help others, protect heritage and environment). Splitting the list into 3 + 3 makes it far easier to reproduce all six under the 45-minute clock.

Why Volunteering Is Emphasized

Discover Canada devotes real attention to volunteering because it reflects a value, not just a chore. It frames helping others as a way to gain skills, make friends, build job contacts, and help newcomers integrate. A question may ask why volunteering matters — the answer connects community service to both personal benefit and national strength.

Common Mistakes on Responsibilities Questions

• Treating jury duty as optional — it is legally required when you are summoned.
• Adding paying taxes as a stand-alone listed responsibility — obeying the law covers it, but it is not one of the six named items.
• Marking military service as mandatory — it is voluntary.
• Forgetting that voting responsibilities include local elections, not just federal.