Civic responsibility is defined as the "responsibility of a citizen.  It is comprised of actions and attitudes associated with democratic governance and social participation. Civic responsibility can include participation in government, church, volunteers and memberships of voluntary associations. Actions of civic responsibility can be displayed in advocacy for various causes, such as political, economic, civil, environmental or quality of life issues.

Civic means, "of, relating to, or belonging to a city, community, etc., a citizen, or citizenship, municipal or civil society"

Responsibility refers to "the state or quality of being responsible or something for which one is responsible such as a duty, obligation or burden" .

A citizen is "a person owing loyalty to and entitled by birth or naturalization to the protection of a state or union" .

Citizenship means "a productive, responsible, caring and contributing member of society." .

Civic Responsibility dates to ancient Rome whose citizens wanted to contribute to Roman society. Although Civic Responsibility has existed for centuries in society, it was officially sanctioned as a blueprint for democracy in 1787 by the ratification of the United States Constitution. The Constitution declared, "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States."

Service learning is a way in which people learn civic responsibility. Through service learning, citizens participate in projects to help or serve the needs of other people. By getting their hands dirty and actually doing work, citizens experience the value and impact of giving to people and learn to be productive members of society.

Volunteering is a form of civic responsibility, which involves the giving of time or labor without the expectation of monetary compensation. Many people volunteer through local community organizations. churches, animal shelters or food banks. Volunteering allows citizens the opportunity to share their skills and talents as well as the to learn new skills while helping those in need of assistance.

Civic Education is a method in which to teach civic responsibility. According to the Center of Civic Education, it is a way to promote and enlighten responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles. Civic education is a means to actively engage people in the practice of democracy in the United States and other countries.

• President Thomas Jefferson: Jefferson served as the third president of the United States and authored the Declaration of Independence, which guaranteed citizens the "unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Through civic responsibility, citizens are free to pursue these rights and to respect the same pursuits by other individuals.
  
  
• Martin Luther King, Jr . : King was a Baptist minister, civil rights activist and recognized for his example of civic responsibility in the United States. His fight for equality continues today. "His lectures and dialogue stirred the concern and sparked the conscious of a generation. The movements and marches he led brought significant changes in the fabric of American life through his courage and selfless devotion. This devotion gave direction to thirteen years of civil rights activities".