Broken sidewalks on one street have gone unrepaired for months. A resident emails the city council member elected from her part of the city about them. What does sending that message actually do?

A seat on a city council is open, and a resident who wants safer bike lanes decides to run for it. If the voters elect her, what will she then be able to do that she cannot do now?

Volunteers spend a Saturday knocking on doors to tell neighbors about a candidate for mayor and to remind them when election day is. What does that work actually accomplish?

Students write a letter to their local newspaper explaining why a neglected park should be cleaned up, and the paper prints it. What does having that letter printed actually do?

Residents may speak during public comment time at a city council meeting even if they are too young to have voted for the council members.

A town council will vote next week on closing a public library building. Residents want the council to hear their views before that vote. What should the residents do?

Residents collect signatures on a petition asking a city council to build a crosswalk near a school. What does turning in that signed petition actually do?

A court calls an adult citizen to report for jury service on a set date. Serving on that jury is an example of a citizen's ___.

Elections for the same public office are held again after a set number of years. Why does a democracy hold these regular elections?

People in a large country cannot all gather in one place to write laws themselves, so they hold elections. What power do voters give the members of Congress they elect?

A group of neighbors spends a Saturday cleaning up the local park. What is this an example of?

A citizen writes to her state senator asking him to support a bill protecting a local river. What does sending that letter actually do?

A city holds a public comment period before the council votes on a new noise ordinance. What is the purpose of that comment period?

A U.S. citizen must be at least 18 years old to vote in national elections.

A community group collects 500 signatures asking the school board to add a crossing guard near the school. What does turning in the petition show the board?

Voters elect a new mayor to lead their town. What can she now do that she could not do before winning the election?

Students sign a letter asking their principal to add more recycling bins. Asking leaders to make a change this way uses which First Amendment right?

Every adult U.S. citizen is required by law to vote in every election.

Obeying the laws that protect people's safety is an example of a citizen's ___.

A town schedules a vote on whether to build a new library. Before the vote, residents attend a meeting to ask questions about the plan. What does attending that meeting let residents do?

A citizen wants to change a city rule about parking. Which action actually starts her down the path to changing the rule?

Two neighbors want to use the only public basketball court at the same time, so they agree to take turns. What does taking turns show?

On election day, voters mark their choice for governor alone inside a private booth. Why is each person's ballot kept secret?

A city collects property taxes from residents. What do those tax payments actually fund?

A resident wants facts about a school bond before she votes on it. Which source would give her the most reliable facts?

A city council schedules a vote on a new bike lane. A resident who disagrees decides to speak during public comment instead of blocking traffic. Why is this the better choice?

Before planning a food drive, students survey their town and learn that many families lack enough food. Why did they gather that information first?

A neighborhood has no safe place for people to cross a busy street. Is this a public issue or a private matter?

A class disagrees about which charity to support. After listening to each other's reasons, they agree each will get half the money raised. What does this agreement show?

A group wants the school board to change the lunch menu. They ask to speak at the next board meeting and prepare data about nutrition. Why do they prepare the data?

A group wants to protest a new law, so they make signs and march with a permit along an approved route. What does this show?

A citizen wants to know what her elected representative decided about a bill. Which action actually helps her find that out?

A resident attends a school board meeting where the board is about to vote on a new dress code. What can she do during the meeting before the vote to be heard?

Neighbors meet to plan a community garden, deciding who will bring tools and who will bring seeds. What does this show?

A citizen joins a neighborhood advisory board that gives the city council input on local projects. What does she gain by joining?

A class votes on whether to raise money for the animal shelter or the food bank, and the food bank wins. What should the students who voted for the animal shelter do next?

A group of students wants safer crosswalks near their school. What is the most effective first step for civic participation?

A town council has seven members. They vote 4 to 3 to build a new skate park. What happens next?

Freedom of assembly gives people the right to gather peacefully to discuss or support an issue.

Before a city council votes on a new park budget, a resident emails every council member her reasons for supporting it. What does sending those emails actually do?