OF the many things good citizens are called upon to do, displaying the flag seems the least important. At least, that was the consensus among American adults who, in a survey by the Pew Research Center last February, were asked how important or unimportant 11 tasks of citizenship were.
Of the list, the most important task was “Always follow the law,” which 96 percent of respondents found important. Nearly 70 percent of respondents in this group found it “very important.” Tied in second place were “Pay all the taxes you owe” and “Respect the opinions of those who disagree” (92 percent). Whether these respondents fulfilled the tasks they said were important is something that the survey didn’t measure. All that calculated guesswork has its limits.
Still, it offers some intriguing snapshots. For instance, researchers observed that what the respondents thought was “very” or “somewhat” important differed, depending on two variables: their age and political identification. In the overall list, seventh most important was the task of “Protest(ing) if you think government actions are wrong.” But here, a clear difference showed up between those who identified themselves as Democrats and those who were Republicans. Majority (52 percent) of Democrats said that protesting government’s wrong actions was “very important.” Only 35 percent of Republicans thought the same.
The Pew Center’s report, posted online last April 26, sounds a cautionary note. “Young voters,” it said, “place less importance on many aspects of citizenship than older adults, especially when it comes to the share that describes a trait or behavior as very important for being a good citizen.” Across all age groups, majority said it is “very important” to vote. But that majority grew smaller as the respondents got younger. Ninety-two percent of those 65 and older said they considered it “very important” to vote. These were the shares in the other age groups: 50 to 64 years old (76 percent); 30 to 49 years old (72 percent); and Americans under 30 (56 percent).
If a similar poll was conducted among Filipino adults, which tasks would we consider most and least important? Would our loyalty to certain political personalities be a factor as well? These are the 11 tasks of good citizenship, listed according to importance, in that Pew Center poll: (1) Always follow the law, which 96 percent of respondents agreed was important; (2-3) Pay all the taxes you owe; and Respect the opinions of those who disagree, 92 percent; (4) Vote in elections, 91 percent; (5-6) Follow what happens in government and politics; and Volunteer to help others, 90 percent; (7) Serve jury duty if called, 89 percent; (8) Participate in the census every decade, 88 percent; (9) Protest if you think government actions are wrong, 82 percent; (10) Know the Pledge of Allegiance, 75 percent; and (11) Display the flag, 62 percent.
By now, you’ve probably seen the flags displayed in stores and on the hoods of some passenger jeepneys and cars. This was also one task where the American respondents diverged, with 50 percent of Republicans saying this was a “very important” part of what it means to be a good citizen, compared with only 25 percent among Democrats. Again, the survey doesn’t explore the reason for this difference. We can speculate that it has to do with Democrats being less comfortable with jingoistic symbols, as well as Republicans being more conservative. But those are guesses, at best.
I can think of a few other tasks of good citizenship, among them having only as many children as one can afford to nourish, send to good schools, and raise well. Making an effort to learn more about local history would be another. It pleases me that “Respect(ing) the opinions of those who disagree” ranked among the top three tasks of citizenship and wonder if a similar result would surface among Filipino respondents. But that’s the thing about good citizenship: public pronouncement doesn’t always match private action.
(On Twitter: @isoldeamante)