Tennessee 4-H Congress is an activity that supports the citizenship project and helps 4-H’ers develop the life skill of responsible citizenship.
Responsible citizenship is an individual’s demonstration of love and devotion in response to duties, rights and privileges as a member of a community or country. It includes
- Loyalty to one’s place of residence
- The entitlements and privileges of citizenship, including voting, protection, participation in government
- Obligations of citizenship
- Appreciating and valuing diversity
One way to be a responsible citizen is to understand your government and how you can be involved so that your government represents you and other citizens.
Democratic governments are established to be operated by the people and for the people. Citizen involvement in government is the only way to keep government responsive to the people.
How much do you know about your government? To help you get the most benefit from your participation in 4-H Congress, you should look in books and on the Internet to learn more about how government works, especially in Tennessee. You will find links and information on this Web site that will help you get the most out of your Congress experience.
Who are the leaders in your state government? How are they elected? How does a bill become a law? What happens if the governor vetoes a bill?
If you know the answers to these and other interesting questions about state government, you will be better prepared to serve as a 4-H Congress senator or representative.
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