Table of Contents

PART ONE
The Crisis of Our Rights-Based Democracy
Rights and Their Limits                                                      
Democratic Deterioration    
                                              
PART TWO
The Bill of Obligations
OBLIGATION I : Be Informed                                               
OBLIGATION I I : Get Involved                                            
OBLIGATION I I I : Stay Open to Compromise                    
OBLIGATION I V: Remain Civil                                          
OBLIGATION V: Reject Violence                                         
OBLIGATION V I : Value Norms                                          
OBLIGATION V I I : Promote the Common Good             
OBLIGATION V I I I : Respect Government Service           
OBLIGATION I X: Support the Teaching of Civics         
OBLIGATION X: Put Country First   
                               
Conclusion   
                                                                      
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS                                                                             
WHERE TO GO FOR MORE                                                                 
NOTES                                                                                                            
INDEX

About the Author

Dr. Richard Haass is president emeritus of the nonpartisan Council on Foreign Relations, which he led for twenty years. He writes, speaks, and advises on global issues. An experienced diplomat and policymaker, he served in the Pentagon, State Department, and White House under four presidents, Democrat and Republican alike. A recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal, the State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award, and the Tipperary International Peace Award, he is the author or editor of fifteen other books, including the bestselling The World: A Brief Introduction, A World in Disarray, and Foreign Policy Begins at Home.

Reviews

“Richard Haass has turned his keen mind and large heart to the most important of questions: The meaning of citizenship. If American democracy is to endure, it will require all of us to embrace what Haass calls our common obligations. This is a vital work for a decisive time.” —Jon Meacham, author of And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle
 
“Democracy is more than procedures and laws. It is an ethical ideal that requires much of us if it is to succeed. Richard Haass powerfully describes what he calls the Bill of Obligations, commitments and values needed for these challenging times. We may not see eye-to-eye on all the issues, but here I agree: we need a clear and thoughtful statement of our obligations to each other and to the country if this grand and fragile experiment in democracy is to survive. The Bill of Obligations does just that!”—Eddie Glaude, James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor, Princeton University
 
“Americans argue a lot about their rights, but, as Richard Haass reminds us, democracy only works if we also recognize our responsibilities. His newest book reminds us of what those are, providing an indispensable guide to good citizenship in an era of division and rancor.” —Anne Applebaum, author of Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
 
“In this essential book, Richard Haass calls upon us all to commit anew to the obligations of American citizenship upon which our increasingly faltering American democracy was founded. He rightly observes that the future of this country, if not the world, depends on our answering this clarion call to put patriotic, civic obligation front and center in the national political conversation. This book’s message is desperately needed if we are to bring an end to the poisonous politics eating away at the fabric of our society and begin to mend our tattered nation.” —J. Michael Luttig, former United States Court of Appeals judge

“The reasoned arguments [Richard Haass] presents make his eloquent book well worth the read.” —Booklist

“Readers of every political stripe would benefit from hearing out these well-reasoned arguments.” —Kirkus

“Haass provides a clear roadmap for a concerned citizenry. While the book’s intended audience are American citizens, his ten obligations can apply to the citizens of any liberal democracy. This is a timely read and call to action for all citizens regardless of political party affiliation. In writing this book, Haass starts an important and necessary conversation for the future of American democracy. ” —Journal of International Social Studies

“Richard Haass has written a lucid and convincing case for placing the obligations of citizens on the same footing as their rights.” —PoliticsHome