PILLAR 12

Citizen Duty

• The Grievance: Democratic institutions weaken when citizens disengage from civic participation and oversight.
• The Demand: Citizens must organize civic oversight networks capable of monitoring institutions, submitting grievances, and documenting responses.

Why It Is Important to American Nationals and Citizens

A democratic republic cannot maintain itself; it requires the active, disciplined engagement of its citizens. When the public disengages from oversight, decision-making authority consolidates within unelected administrative bodies and well-funded interest groups. Organizing citizen oversight networks is necessary to keep institutions responsive to the public interest.

Key Empirical Data & Context:

Public trust in the federal government remains low, with a significant majority of Americans reporting that they view the government as corrupt and wasteful.

Reversing this trust deficit requires American Nationals and Citizens to move beyond passive frustration and organize structured, non-partisan oversight networks to demand clear standards of accountability.

“The Federal Government is Corrupt”:

• 2024: 74%
• 2025: 67% (Net Change: -7 points)

“The Government Has a Negative Impact”:

• 2024: 66%
• 2025: 45% (Net Change: -21 points)

“The Federal Government is Wasteful”:

• 2024: 85%
• 2025: 61% (Net Change: -24 points)

Overall Trust in Federal Government:

• 2024: 23%
• 2025: 33% (Net Change: +10 points)