November 3, 2023/12:00am
Erie, PA – Each and every citizen of America holds a great deal of political power. The framers of the federal constitution of the United States aimed to establish a democracy that would be capable of protecting the rights of American citizens, by contributing to the greater good of society.
As the government passes regulations that restrict the rights of citizens, enlightened understanding should be utilized to make electoral decisions for the best interest of the community. It is the right of these citizens to raise awareness and concern towards the necessity of compliance with these regulations. This is considering that the compliance of citizens is necessary to the overall success of a nation, to prevent the tragedy of the commons.
Having a greater understanding of politics, law, and society could allow individuals to make compliance calls in the best interest of the public. This is as opposed to their individual self-interest. In order to determine whether compliance to governmental laws and policies is necessary, enlightened understanding must be utilized to evaluate the equality of enforcement, the prominence of human rights, and the general interest of the public regarding governmental laws.
Regulations should be equally enforced if citizens are expected to comply to them, as enforced by the American government. It was stated in 2022, within Equal Protection, by the Legal Information Institute, that equal protection is “the idea that a governmental body may not deny people equal protection to its governing laws. The governing body state must treat an individual in the same manner as others in similar conditions and circumstances”
The universal principles of human rights should contribute to the compliance of citizens. This is regarding governmental laws and policies. It is stated within What Are Human Rights, by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, that “These universal rights are inherent to us all, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. They range from the most fundamental – the right to life – to those that make life worth living.
Compliance is one of the many factors that may contribute to the success and functionality of a nation. Compliance is a result of the trust that citizens put into their source of governing power. As laws and policies are put into place by the government, American citizens are to consider their eagerness to comply to these regulations through their own enlightened understanding.
The equality of enforcement, the prominence of the protection of human rights, and the general interest of the public should all be utilized as factors when determining whether to comply with laws. As regulations continue to be passed, it falls into the hands of citizens to vote in lawmakers into governing positions, to determine whether or not they are willing to cooperate with their standards of a nation.
