essay about responsible

Essays About Responsibility: Top 12 Examples and Prompts

We can’t take on the challenge of life without responsibility; If you are writing essays about responsibility, discover our guide below.

The word responsibility describes the state of being accountable for our actions and is one of the main elements that make us human. We are not born with it; instead, it is something to be exercised and improved on over time.

It has often been said that with power or freedom comes responsibility, which could not be more truthful. Each of us is gifted with the ability to make choices, and we are considered superior to all other living things on this planet. However, we have to make informed choices and be responsible for our actions, whether to ourselves, the people around us, and our environment.

5 Top Essay Examples

1. the value of responsibility by simon baker, 2. freedom is not the lack of constraint, but the exercise of responsibility by beulah west, 3. why responsibility is so important by steve rose.

• 4.  The Beneifts of Being Responsible by Frank Terzo
• 5. ​​What It’s like to Feel Responsible for Everything by Duncan Riach

1. The Importance of Responsibility

2. dealing with false responsibility, 3. freedom and responsibility, 4. what is social responsibility, 5. what are your responsibilities, 6. responsibility as a component of success, 7. a time you acted responsibly.

“It’s easy for us to become blinkered or out-of-touch when we’re constantly working with our heads down. Although meeting our commitments is hugely important we bear another responsibility, that is to invest in ourselves and in each other. When we can free our imagination and refresh our minds, we restore perspective and reduce stress. We find time and space to explore new ways to collaborate, be creative and enjoy ourselves to the benefit of our mission.”

Baker writes about why he thinks responsibility is important and discusses factors related to responsibility, namely trust, personal choice, and freedom. A feeling of trust allows you to be more comfortable accepting responsibility, while responsibility allows us to maximize personal choice and freedom. Most importantly, bearing responsibility means freeing our minds, enjoying life, and coming up with great ideas. 

“A lack of constraint means that you can not do everything that you want. In a perfect world this would be fine, but we don’t live in a perfect world. However everyone’s view of a perfect world is different, if this coincides with the law and you are happy, then you can be free still living under laws and legislations. If you believe that freedom is making your own choices then the only way that we can be “free” is if society does not exist.”

West discusses how just as personal freedom is vital to a healthy society, so is accountability for our actions. Freedom also has a negative side; it can be described as a lack of constraint in our choices. Without constraint, our actions may hurt others or even ourselves. Therefore, it must come with the responsibility to make these choices from a more thoughtful, educated perspective. 

You might also be interested in our list of essays about effective leadership . You can also check out these articles and essays about attitude .

“Taking responsibility creates long term resilience and a sense of purpose. This sense of purpose can be fostered by taking responsibility for one’s self by engaging in self-care. Responsibility can also be developed on a familial and societal level, offering a sense of purpose proportional to your ability to contribute your unique abilities.”

Rose explores the importance of being responsible for one’s health. It gives us a sense of purpose and helps us build resilience; however, we must first be responsible for ourselves by practicing self-care. This includes resting, exercising, taking breaks, and going to the doctor if something is bothering us. This makes us more responsible for the people around us, allowing us to perform different societal roles. You might be inspired by these essays about success and essays about overcoming challenges .

4.   The Beneifts of Being Responsible by Frank Terzo

“If we take care of our commitments, even if it something we might like to ignore, we feel better about ourselves. Each step we take towards being responsible and productive helps to raise our self-esteem and our relationships with friends, family and co-workers improve ten-fold. Being responsible pays big dividends – we have much less stress and chaos in our lives and we gain the respect of others.”

In this short essay, Terzo provides insight into the many benefits responsibility can provide you with. We must always be responsible, even if we might not feel like it, because it can improve our productivity, self-esteem, relationships with others, and overall peace. Though it might not always be easy, responsibility is key to achieving a happy life. 

5. ​​ What It’s like to Feel Responsible for Everything by Duncan Riach

“I hold responsibility when others are not taking responsibility. I was holding all of the responsibility, guilt, and shame that Billy McFarland was disowning. It’s a survival mechanism that I developed when I was a child. I had a step-father who was some form of psychopath or malignant narcissist, a person who was completely out of control and completely irresponsible. The only way that I could feel safe in that environment was to try to hold the responsibility myself.”

Riach reflects on a habit by which he constantly felt responsible for things out of his control, things as minor as events he saw on television. He developed this habit due to his upbringing- his childhood and family life were less than ideal. He is fully aware of his problem but still struggles with it. His case is an excellent example of false responsibility. 

6 Writing Prompts on Essays About Responsibility

Responsibility is, without a doubt, essential, but how important is it really? Reflect on the meaning of responsibility and explain its importance. Discuss this from a practical and personal standpoint; combine personal experience and research as the basis for your points. 

False responsibility is an attitude by which one feels responsible for things they are not. This is a widespread issue that encompasses everyone, from humble workers to some of the most influential people in the world. For your essay, research this phenomenon, then define it and explain why it occurs. Give suggestions on how one can identify false responsibility and work to stop feeling that way. 

The topics of freedom and personal responsibility are deeply intertwined; for freedom to work correctly, there must be a certain level of responsibility instilled in people so society can function correctly. In your essay, discuss these two concepts and their connection. Do proper research on this topic, then conclude this issue: are we responsible enough to be given total freedom? You may also link this to topics such as the law and regulations. You might be inspired by these essays about goals .

Social Responsibility seems straightforward and self-defining, but it is broad, especially with society putting a higher value on awareness, community, and social justice. Research this term and its history and discuss it in your essay; define and explain it, then describe what it means. 

Whether in your studies or at work, as a family member, friend, or even a member of society, we have a unique set of responsibilities that vary depending on the person. Reflect on the different roles you play in life and decide what your responsibilities are. Briefly describe each one and explain how you fulfill these responsibilities. You can also check out these essays about conflict .

This value is important because it is present in all successful individuals. Based on your opinions and research, discuss the relationship between responsibility, success, and some other factors or traits that influence success. Give examples of successful people who have shown responsibility, such as government officials, celebrities, and business leaders. 

When we are responsible, we are pretty proud of ourselves most of the time. Think of an experience you are most proud of in which you acted responsibly. Retell the story, reflect on how you felt, and explain why it is important- be as detailed as possible. Or, you may opt to do the opposite, telling the story of a time you did not show responsibility and thinking of what you would do if given a chance to repeat it. 

Grammarly is one of our top grammar checkers. Find out why in this Grammarly review . Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

View all posts

Individual Perspective on Responsibility Reflective Essay

Introduction, responsibility: a brief overview, personal view on the meaning of responsibility.

One of the key factors that lead to success in life is being responsible. From childhood, my parents and the whole society at large have been pushing me to show responsibility through my actions, feelings and utterances.

The question that is left begging is: What does responsibility entail? In my opinion, responsibility is making decisions that are mutually beneficial to me and the people that I interact with in everyday activities. This paper shall define this term and evaluate its application in my personal life.

Responsibility refers to one’s ability to perform assigned duties and obligations satisfactorily. This entails taking care, being accountable and accepting the results of one’s actions, feelings and utterances. Throughout my life, I have come to the realization that no matter how smart one is, responsibilities play a pivotal role in the facilitation of success in any endeavor.

In addition, I have come to terms with the fact that as a human being I cannot be responsible for things that are out of my control. For example, you are not responsible for people’s feelings about you or others in society and efforts to change such perceptions may prove to be deleterious.

I believe that responsibility is about seizing opportunities, making the right choices and having control of different situations no matter how challenging they are. It is my ability to respond appropriately by facing the world and actualizing my desires through personal choices.

For example, my parents have always insisted that I exercise patience and discipline in all I do. They argue that these virtues make for a responsible person. As such, I have always applied these virtues in all I do and as a result, people around me consider me as a responsible person.

In the world we live in today, responsibility is measured by the level of efficiency one exhibits as he/she performs a given task. Be it at home or at work, responsibility is hinged on the realization that our actions contribute positively or negatively to the lives of those who rely on us. As such, failure to meet such obligations constitutes to us failing or letting them down.

While man is to error, responsibility demands that we accept our failures because it is through such situations that one becomes more responsible. For a very long time, I associated responsibility with blame.

This is mainly due to the fact that people always demanded to know who was responsible for a particular mishap. However, I have come to understand that responsibility is not only based on successful execution of tasks, but also on one’s ability to accept and own his/her mistakes (accountability).

As a man, there are various duties and obligations that the society expects me to perform. Key among them is to excel in education. Education plays a significant role in character building. For example, a student who plans his/her time effectively, achieves the set goals (grades, discipline and respect) is often viewed as a responsible person. This is because such a student performs successfully in the tasks given at school.

As such, an educated person is responsible in the sense that he/she understands what is expected of him/her in regard to personal behavior, career and social objectives. My parents insisted that excellence in education leads to better responsibilities.

I have witnessed this through my career, whereby I have to delegate duties and manage employees. In essence, I am responsible for them and they rely on me as much as I rely on them for success.

Similarly, responsibility is about balance. A person who takes care of his family is viewed as a responsible man in society. This kind of responsibility is not based on his financial ability, but rather, on his ability to balance his work and family lives effectively. I remember my father telling me that I should not focus on my personal career and forget my duties to those people that I care about.

As an example, he told me how a friend of his concentrated on his job so much that he ended up losing his family. One may argue that he was responsible at work by coming in on time, finishing tasks efficiently and before the deadline or even working overtime. However, he failed his family and people in society viewed him as an irresponsible person.

Personally, I have worked very hard throughout my life to become a responsible person. While I have succeeded in most areas (personal health, hygiene, reputation and finances), there are numerous challenges that shake my confidence.

One of the main challenges is dealing with people who do not care how their actions affect others. I know that through our choices, we determine how our lives turn out. As such, dealing with an irresponsible person gives me grief.

From this paper, it has been established that responsibility is not merely executing the tasks we are assigned, but also being brave enough to admit our mistakes and the consequences that arise from them. If people understand responsibility the way I do, they will make this world a better place even for future generations.

• Language and Misinterpretations
• The Racial Humor in America: Jokes With Racial and Ethnic Contents Connotations
• Philosophy of language: Speech act theory
• Plato and Nietzsche’s Approaches
• Philosophy and Technology: Technological imperative
• Jean Paul Sartre: Bad Faith Concept
• Cultural Theory: Uses and Disadvantages of History for Life
• Philosophical Views on Life and Death
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2019, June 27). Individual Perspective on Responsibility. https://ivypanda.com/essays/responsibility-definition/

"Individual Perspective on Responsibility." IvyPanda , 27 June 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/responsibility-definition/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Individual Perspective on Responsibility'. 27 June.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Individual Perspective on Responsibility." June 27, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/responsibility-definition/.

1. IvyPanda . "Individual Perspective on Responsibility." June 27, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/responsibility-definition/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Individual Perspective on Responsibility." June 27, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/responsibility-definition/.

Questions? Call us: 

Email: 

• How it works
• Testimonials

Essay Writing

• Essay service
• Essay writers
• College essay service
• Write my essay
• Pay for essay
• Essay topics

Term Paper Writing

• Term paper service
• Buy term papers
• Term paper help
• Term paper writers
• College term papers
• Write my term paper
• Pay for term paper
• Term paper topic

Research Paper Writing

• Research paper service
• Buy research paper
• Research paper help
• Research paper writers
• College research papers
• Write my research paper
• Pay for research paper
• Research paper topics

Dissertation Writing

• Dissertation service
• Buy dissertation
• Dissertation help
• Dissertation writers
• College thesis
• Write my dissertation
• Pay for dissertation
• Dissertation topics

Other Services

• Custom writing services
• Speech writing service
• Movie review writing
• Editing service
• Assignment writing
• Article writing service
• Book report writing
• Book review writing

Popular request:

How to write a compelling responsibility essay the right way.

February 6, 2020

I’m sure this is a word you’ve heard since your childhood, responsibility. Your parents, teachers, neighbors, and even the famous high school and college motivational speakers have talked to you about this.

What does responsibility mean to you? I remember my mother telling me, “Son if you are not responsible now, you might never get a wife. And remember, I want grandchildren!” So I have been trying to maintain a sense of responsibility so that I don’t miss out on a wife and deny my mum the golden opportunity of having grandchildren.

That aside, let’s get down to why we are here, writing a responsibility essay.

What is a Responsibility Essay?

The word responsibility in itself is a one-sentence definition. It implies a state of having an obligation to deal with something.

A responsibility essay is, therefore, one that shows a person’s grasp of the outcome, which can be caused by his/her actions. In a broad sense, it means that there is a situation at hand, and how it is going to be handled by the person is critical to the final results.

No one is born with this sense of responsibility. It is a value that is cultivated over time by learning either directly or indirectly from others. A mother has a duty of taking care of the baby until a certain age, so does a president has responsibility for a nation.

Responsibility essay assignments for students hardly miss because this is a practical aspect of life.

Writing Ideas on a Responsibility Essay

Are you there stranded on where to begin your 1000 word essay on responsibility? Well, here are some great ideas that you can borrow from for starters:

• Primary responsibilities: You can write about what you are tasked with daily, and you are getting along with those responsibilities.
• Social responsibility: Talk about society’s rights and how they relate to their duty. Is there a conflict between the two?
• Power and responsibility: Is it true that those in power are the ones mandated with greater responsibilities than the others in society?
• Why is it hard to take it? Here you can delve into the issue of why people do not want to take responsibility for their actions. For instance, a man who impregnates a lady and refuses to own up, thus running away and leaving the lady to fend for herself and the child.

I would not be doing justice if I left this section without quoting the famous Peter Parker’s Principle, “with great power, comes great responsibility.” For those who may not be familiar with that, watch Spider-Man, the movie.

A personal responsibility essay is the cheapest to write. I mean, isn’t there a time you were tasked with watching over your siblings, being the captain of a class, or even tending your flock back in the ranch? All that was responsible, and, in your essay, show whether you were good or bad at it, or sooner if you enjoyed working at it.

You can also show in your essay on why responsibility is essential. If you were looking after your little sister and out of your irresponsibility, she slipped into the kitchen and caused a fire, doesn’t that tell you why you need to be responsible?

If your niche is on leadership, then you can write an essay on responsibility and accountability. Show why the leaders need to be transparent in their undertakings and why it is essential to the citizens at large.

For every successful writer, you need to have an outline . A responsibility paper outline will help you achieve the following:

• Know if your thoughts are well interconnected
• Point out potholes in your essay
• Come up with a clear and precise sequence of ideas
• To determine if the sufficiency of the evidence at hand.

Such will save you the agony of taking a lot of time to write your responsibility. The subsequent speech on responsibility will, therefore, be precise and complete, and perhaps compete for audience with Obama’s speeches.

And if that’s not enough, let us look at some topics you can use for your next essay about responsibility.

Top 10 Winning Topic Ideas for a Responsibility Essay

These topics will act as an icebreaker to stir you up for more great ideas that you can write about from today.

Are you ready for this? Here we go!

• With high power, comes great responsibility (I wouldn’t miss starting with this)
• What is the importance of being responsible?
• At what age can someone be considered responsible enough?
• Leadership and responsibility
• Personal responsibility in college
• Is responsibility an obligation to oneself?
• Personal responsibility and academic success
• Responsibility gun control
• Legal and ethical implications of irresponsibility
• Social responsibility and reduction of crime rate
• Responsible parenting
• Am I good at fulfilling my obligations?
• Rights versus responsibilities
• To be or not to be responsible
• Accountability starts with me!

Crafting Great Responsibility Essay

Well, I guess that is enough to get you started and improve your grades, especially in essay writing. Why don’t you choose one of the topics and craft an essay now?

Do you still have a problem with any of your college assignments or running out of time? Our best writers are just a click of a button away waiting to offer you that professional writing help.

Take a break from writing.

Top academic experts are here for you.

• How To Write An Autobiography Guideline And Useful Advice
• 182 Best Classification Essay Topics To Learn And Write About
• How To Manage Stress In College: Top Practical Tips  
• How To Write A Narrative Essay: Definition, Tips, And A Step-by-Step Guide
• How To Write Article Review Like Professional
• Great Problem Solution Essay Topics
• Creating Best Stanford Roommate Essay
• Costco Essay – Best Writing Guide
• How To Quote A Dialogue
• Wonderful Expository Essay Topics
• Research Paper Topics For 2020
• Interesting Persuasive Essay Topics

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Responsibility — The Nature of Responsibility

The Nature of Responsibility

• Categories: Responsibility

About this sample

Words: 1134 |

Published: Sep 4, 2018

Words: 1134 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Works Cited:

• Bartholomew, R. E. (2018). Understanding conversion disorder: A guide for the medical profession. ABC-CLIO.
• Daily.jstor.org. (2017, January 24). The Little Ice Age: A World-Lost. JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/the-little-ice-age-a-world-lost/
• Foskett, D. J. (2020). The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege. Rowman & Littlefield.
• Hansen, C. B. (2017). Witches, Magic, and Transgression in the European Middle Ages. Oxford University Press.
• Kirsch, G. E. (2019). The Salem witch trials: A reference guide. ABC-CLIO.
• Norton, M. B. (2016). In the Devil's Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692. Vintage.
• Rosenthal, B. (2013). Salem story: reading the witch trials of 1692. Cambridge University Press.
• Starkey, M. (2015). The Devil in Massachusetts: A Modern Enquiry into the Salem Witch Trials. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
• Wright, L. (2017). Salem witch trials. Routledge.
• Woolf, A. (2019). The Salem Witch Trials. Pearson Education Limited.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 559 words

2 pages / 793 words

2 pages / 763 words

5 pages / 2479 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Responsibility

In summary, personal responsibility is essential for personal growth, effective decision-making, and achieving goals. It involves taking ownership of one's actions, decisions, and consequences, and continuously striving to [...]

In "Man Is Condemned To Be Free," Sartre presents a compelling argument for the inherent freedom and responsibility of human existence. He challenges the notion of a predetermined human essence and emphasizes the importance of [...]

In conclusion, maturity is an essential attribute that contributes to personal growth, healthy relationships, and a harmonious society. It encompasses emotional intelligence, responsibility, self-awareness, and the ability to [...]

As an American citizen, I understand that I have a responsibility to contribute to the well-being and prosperity of my country. In this essay, I will explore the ways in which I believe I can fulfill this duty and make a [...]

As, we strive to become Lambda men the most important thing we can’t lose sight on is “Being My Brother’s Keeper”. I thought I knew what Being My Brother’s Keeper really meant from being a part of organized sports and through [...]

We all at sometime or another intend to achieve or do something in our life. Whether or not we achieve what we intend to do is up to us. Whether or not we should feel responsible for what we intend lies on what those intentions [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• Environment
• Information Science
• Social Issues
• Argumentative
• Cause and Effect
• Classification
• Compare and Contrast
• Descriptive
• Exemplification
• Informative
• Controversial
• Exploratory
• What Is an Essay
• Length of an Essay
• Generate Ideas
• Types of Essays
• Structuring an Essay
• Outline For Essay
• Essay Introduction
• Thesis Statement
• Body of an Essay
• Writing a Conclusion
• Essay Writing Tips
• Drafting an Essay
• Revision Process
• Fix a Broken Essay
• Format of an Essay
• Essay Examples
• Essay Checklist
• Essay Writing Service
• Pay for Research Paper
• Write My Research Paper
• Write My Essay
• Custom Essay Writing Service
• Admission Essay Writing Service
• Pay for Essay
• Academic Ghostwriting
• Write My Book Report
• Case Study Writing Service
• Dissertation Writing Service
• Coursework Writing Service
• Lab Report Writing Service
• Do My Assignment
• Buy College Papers
• Capstone Project Writing Service
• Buy Research Paper
• Custom Essays for Sale

Can’t find a perfect paper?

• Free Essay Samples
• Responsibility

Essays on Responsibility

Responsibility means performing tasks you need to perform, like writing a responsibility essay and managing the consequences. Authors of responsibility essays develop different definitions of responsibility. Responsibility can be defined as the ability of a person to complete or fulfill what was entrusted to them, or what they have taken upon themselves. Essays on responsibility explore external ways to ensure a person’s responsibility, like accountability at work, or punishment for failure. Other essays emphasize that internal ways – self-regulation, sense of responsibility, and sense of duty – samples below will further elaborate on this topic. We need to remember that while we all have our daily responsibilities, we also share global responsibility for the surrounding people and the world. Our responsibility essay samples can serve as a template for your essay, so take a quick peek!

The essay will exhibit the manner in which human beings are both morally responsible as well as the fact that they possess free will in their actions. Notably, is responsible for the various acts he performs in case the person has the moment in which he can decide whether to...

Promote a quality workplace by investing in employee s development, providing opportunities for growth and safeguarding the company s interests and corporate rights. Implementation of Quality Standards Standards guiding business operation are vital to any company or institution. For an employer to be able to deter employees from breaking the set laws,...

Besides the challenging studies, assignments, and projects, there are various other challenges that a student goes through in his or her journey to adulthood. A few weeks ago, my friends and I were walking home from school when we decided to play soccer on the road as we walked. Deep...

The primary argument The primary argument concerning the topic is that except for the vulnerable groups in the society, people should bear the responsibility for their health and behaviour at an individual level. The first reason The first reason is that all people have the autonomy to make decisions which are also known...

Every day, businesses are tasked with making choices that will impact both the organization s regular operations and the communities in which they operate. Making ethical decisions is a difficult task because they are constantly weighed against opposing factors that affect a business. For instance, choosing between immediate gratification and...

Such an important day has come. I humbly embrace the people's choice to make me the 45th President of this wonderful country. Godspeed, everyone It is time to put aside our differences and work together to make our country wonderful after months of hard campaigning and gaining support. One of our country's...

Found a perfect essay sample but want a unique one?

Request writing help from expert writer in you feed!

Landlord and Tenant Rules and Regulations Landlord and tenant rules and regulations are set forth by both the federal and state governments, which explains why they vary from one state to the next. There are, however, shared obligations and privileges between the landlord and the tenant. The landlord has the legal...

Words: 1141

A thorough investigation of the accessible business establishments is necessary when forming companies. The parties involved will be able to determine their responsibilities and liabilities with the proper information regarding the defined business structure, preventing future disputes within the company. (Henning, 2012). In this situation, Adam, Laura, and Beth ought to...

Research is an essential part of the educational process because it has a significant influence on current medical knowledge and practice. Generally speaking, the goal of research is to create new knowledge or to confirm previously discovered knowledge that has taken the shape of a theory. Nowadays, an entry-level nurse's...

The debts due by the partnership's limited partners cannot be collected by the bankruptcy trustee. The partners are not liable to the company, according to the proper filing. (Bebchuk, 2005). However, the bankruptcy office may decide to liquidate all of the partnerships' properties in order to pay off all outstanding...

In the US and many other countries, the freedom of children to participate in medical decisions has repeatedly been overlooked. (Huntington and Elizabeth 178). The state has completely authorized and charged their parents with the responsibility of making decisions regarding their children s health rather than allowing the adolescents to do...

Words: 1883

I decided to use essay number 8 for this week's task. This article examines a few different parenting philosophies from different angles. Some parents have a strong sense of authority. In this instance, the author had an option as to which extracurricular activities he could engage in. In addition, the...

Related topic to Responsibility

You might also like.

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Life

Essay Samples on Responsibility

Community responsibility: culture of care and accountability.

Community responsibility is a cornerstone of building strong, resilient, and harmonious societies. This essay delves into the significance of community responsibility, its role in fostering positive change, the benefits it brings to individuals and communities, and the ways in which individuals can actively contribute to...

• Accountability
• Responsibility

Why is Responsibility Important in Everyday Life

What is social responsibility, why is responsibility important? Social responsibility is a duty every individual has to perform to the community. A better future is what we seek for the upcoming generation and youth and the best to bring about the expected changes is when...

• Ethics in Everyday Life
• Socialization

Why Is Responsibility Important For Health

Whose responsibility is it to keep you well?  Yours or the doctors, it is our own bodies, should you not be the one to look after it? or is it simply what a doctors supposed to do? People love to pass there problems on,  but...

• Health Care
• Public Health

Various Kinds of Responsibility Cost Accounting Centres

Responsibility accounting is a bit of the display appraisal structure and an evaluation system used to measure the working outcomes of the organization.The decision rights relegated to a subunit order such as a cost center, a profit or investment center. The specific choice of rights...

• Cost Accounting

The Rights And Responsibilities Of A Citizen In America

In order to be eligible to vote for any government election, there are requirements that need to be met; being eighteen years old by election day, a citizen of the United States, meeting your state residency requirements, and being registered to vote by your state’s...

• Citizenship
• Individual Rights

Stressed out with your paper?

Consider using writing assistance:

• 100% unique papers
• 3 hrs deadline option

My Personal Responsibility: Taking Responsibility For Your Actions

First of all, I have a personal responsibility to know who I am, what I can do and what I want in my life. What's going to help me set my goals, know the strategies I'm going to use, and know how to fight for...

• Personal Beliefs
• Personal Growth and Development

Corporate Social Responsibility: Taking Responsibility For Actions In Businesses

Many consumers require companies to change the way they carry out their operations by becoming more transparent and taking responsibility for the issues in society. Consequently, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has taken root in today's corporate world. Organizations that fail to incorporate CSR programs within...

• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Social Responsibility

Exploring Citizen's Engagement And Responsibilities Of A Citizen

This paper examines in a first place different forms of citizen’s engagement and his responsibilities toward society. In a second place, it discusses the background or the framework of these forms. What is the social role of a citizen? How valid morality could be the...

Moral Vegetarianism: Responsibility Or Necessity

Recent trends in modern eating habits have brought upon a wave of new discussions and one of them being the never seemingly ending debate of vegetarianism. The trend rose to convert our standard diets and health recommendations that mankind has known and followed for centuries...

• Eating Habits
• Vegetarianism

Age Of Consent And Age Of Responsibility

This essay plan is going to use theoretical context, with case studies, to critically assess the challenging arguments based upon the issues of reducing the age of consent from 16 to 14 in the UK. The topic of the age of consent has been very...

• Age of Responsibility

Themes of Responsibility and Respect in The Cask Of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe and Trifles by Susan Gaspells

The Definition of responsibility is having an obligation to do something. Responsibility to me means making sure you get stuff done the way its expected. The definition of respect is a regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others. What it means to...

• The Cask of Amontillado

The Appropriate Age for Driving Among Teenagers

How old is old enough to drive? Most would argue the legal driving age of sixteen appears appropriate for somebody to start taking the wheel, whereas others say that twenty-one could be a more decent age. For many teenagers obtaining their license once they turn...

• Driving Age
• Teen Driving

The Social Responsibility of the Educators and Education Department

Educators are the greatest resource in society due to the fact that every individual within society has received their first foundation/start-up to be successful in life due to them. Educators are the power tools in society, the better they are at doing their jobs the...

• Department of Education
• Role of Education

Reasons behind Kanhaiya Gulati Kanwhizz Sucess

Making a dedication isn't any sort of joke. Making a dedication is actually quite genuine issue in business and thus it ought to never be messed with. Individuals frequently don't comprehend the significance of duty, they feel it's anything but difficult to make responsibility and...

Overview of Seth Lazar Views on Self-Defence and Responsibility

In Responsibility, Risk, and Killing in Self-Defence, Seth Lazar argues that the defender is liable to defensive force if the risk of harm imposed by the attacker follows his conditions of proportionality, agent-responsibility, and necessity. In this paper, the first section will discuss Lazar’s argument...

• Self Defence

The True Conductor of the Julius Caesar Train in Shakespeare's Play

In the average person’s life, there is typically a highly influential person who drives the emotions and thought process of that said person, and often to the point where this influence and authority becomes problematic. In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus is...

• The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

Accountability and Responsibility Which are Key Concepts in Healthcare

This essay is going to discuss accountability and responsibility. These concepts are going to be related to scenario ward 6 (see appendix). The focus will be on the accountability and responsibility of the health care assistant (HCA) and student nurse in the scenario and will...

• Universal Health Care

Friedrich Nietzsche Psychological Concepts of Morals in Genealogy of Morals

The psychological state Friedrich Nietzsche terms as ressentiment in the Genealogy of Morals is a human condition attributed to a feeling produced when placed within a hostile environment. One which man is found powerless to alter through physical action. Those inflicted on this deprived orientation...

• Friedrich Nietzsche

Responsibilities and Failures of Civil Engineering Profession

When you become a civil engineer, you take on the responsibility to serve the public and improve the quality of life within the community. The ASCE Code of Ethics was established for civil engineers to practice ethical behavior in their profession. The ASCE Code of...

• Civil Engineering

Exploration of Themes of Regret and Responsibility in A Christmas Carol

Written in 1843 by Charles Dickens, across five staves, A Chistmas Carol depicts the mean-spirited and miserly character of Ebenezer Scrooge, who is haunted by four spirits, in an attempt to transform him into a kinder; more charitable man. On a surface level, the First...

• A Christmas Carol

The Responsibilities and Obligations of Police Officer

Abstract For my term paper I’m going to write about the responsibilities and the life of a police officer. I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to write about because there are so many different topics in the criminal justice field that interests...

• Police Officer

Immense Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Businesses

Introduction Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) develop an economic of the business to contribute the achievable success in competitive advantage that build the reputation and acquire the trust of people. Providing in quickly improving that need for enhancing transparency, firm citizenship, maintain on social, ethical and...

Analyzing Responsibility in Business Management

Meaning of Responsible Management Responsible management has become very crucial in an era of growing governmental and public scrutiny of managerial practices and accountability. During the past years, a succession of instances of poor managerial practices, or even malpractices, unethical behaviour and questionable bonus and...

The Fear of Adult Responsibilities in "The Catcher in The Rye"

J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is a coming-of-age novel that explores the fear and anxiety of growing up and assuming adult responsibilities. The protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is a disillusioned teenager who struggles with the transition from adolescence to adulthood. In this essay, we...

• Catcher in The Rye

Our Responsibility For The Earth

“Anxiety is typically the result of being placed in situations that we cannot understand or control. We are most anxious when we cannot find a way to make sense of what’s happening, and when we feel as if there is nothing we can do to...

Argument Men and Particularly Princes

Princes may be beneficent which seems to be a distinctive feature but it may be giving them an awful recognition amongst their subjects. That is due to the fact that such princes may be beneficent and turn out to be using up all their sources...

• Personal Qualities

Parents Need To Be Educated In The Proper Nutrition

All expecting parents need to be educated in the proper nutrition for an infant. This causes these soon-to-be new parents to seek new information and acquire new knowledge which differs from their current education on nutrition. Many people know the proper nutrition for adults however,...

Do Legal-Status Mothers Take On More Responsibility Than Their Unauthorized Spouses?

Families all around the world have immigrated to the United States for a variety of reasons. My family came into this country during the wave of the 1960s created from the Bracero Program where hundreds of Mexicans entered the US. My grandfather was able to...

• Family Values

Importance Of Corporate Social Responsibility & Governance

Corporate Governance Corporate governance refers to the standard of relationship between the board of directors, management, shareholders, auditors and other stakeholders that determines how a company is functions. In corporate governance it identifies who has the power to make the decisions. Corporate administration guarantees that...

• Corporate Culture

College Education In Crucet's Story "Make Your Home Among Strangers"

Most students coming into college think that it’s their time to be independent, have fun, make new friends, and get a degree. Jennine Capo Crucet acknowledges that college is more than just having fun partying with friends and just getting to that degree you strongly...

Best topics on Responsibility

1. Community Responsibility: Culture of Care and Accountability

2. Why is Responsibility Important in Everyday Life

3. Why Is Responsibility Important For Health

4. Various Kinds of Responsibility Cost Accounting Centres

5. The Rights And Responsibilities Of A Citizen In America

6. My Personal Responsibility: Taking Responsibility For Your Actions

7. Corporate Social Responsibility: Taking Responsibility For Actions In Businesses

8. Exploring Citizen’s Engagement And Responsibilities Of A Citizen

9. Moral Vegetarianism: Responsibility Or Necessity

10. Age Of Consent And Age Of Responsibility

11. Themes of Responsibility and Respect in The Cask Of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe and Trifles by Susan Gaspells

12. The Appropriate Age for Driving Among Teenagers

13. The Social Responsibility of the Educators and Education Department

14. Reasons behind Kanhaiya Gulati Kanwhizz Sucess

15. Overview of Seth Lazar Views on Self-Defence and Responsibility

• Career Goals
• Personality
• Personal Experience

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

Essay on Responsibility

Essay generator.

Responsibility, an essential virtue, plays a pivotal role in shaping an individual’s character and contributing to societal progress. It encompasses a wide range of actions and attitudes, from personal accountability to civic duty. This essay delves into the multifaceted nature of responsibility, its importance in various aspects of life, and ways to foster it.

Responsibility

At its core, responsibility is the moral obligation to act correctly and make decisions that positively impact oneself and others. It involves recognizing and accepting the consequences of one’s actions. Responsibility is not just about fulfilling duties; it is about being reliable, trustworthy, and making decisions that are considerate of others.

Personal Responsibility

Personal responsibility is fundamental in shaping one’s life. It involves self-discipline, time management, and the ability to make thoughtful decisions. For instance, students demonstrate personal responsibility by completing their assignments on time and preparing for exams. Adults show it by managing their finances wisely and fulfilling their professional obligations.

Social Responsibility

Beyond personal spheres, responsibility extends to social contexts. Social responsibility involves contributing to the welfare of society and the environment. It includes actions like volunteering, recycling, and being informed about social issues. Companies exhibit social responsibility through ethical business practices and community engagement.

Responsibility in Relationships

Responsibility is crucial in building and maintaining healthy relationships. It requires honesty, respect, and the ability to listen and respond to the needs of others. In friendships, it might mean being there for someone in difficult times. In family dynamics, it involves contributing to household chores and supporting family members.

Academic Responsibility

In academic settings, responsibility is key to success. It involves attending classes regularly, engaging in learning activities, and respecting teachers and peers. Academic responsibility also includes academic integrity – avoiding plagiarism and cheating, which are detrimental to one’s learning process.

Civic Responsibility

Civic responsibility entails participation in the democratic process, adherence to laws, and involvement in community affairs. It includes voting, being aware of current events, and possibly engaging in activism or community service. Civic responsibility is the bedrock of a functioning democracy.

Professional Responsibility

In the workplace, responsibility is synonymous with dependability and professionalism. It involves meeting deadlines, collaborating with colleagues, and adhering to ethical standards. Professional responsibility also includes continual self-improvement and contributing positively to the work environment.

The Consequences of Irresponsibility

Irresponsibility can have far-reaching consequences. Neglecting personal health, for example, can lead to chronic diseases. Academic irresponsibility can result in poor grades and lost opportunities. Social irresponsibility can contribute to environmental degradation and societal problems.

Fostering Responsibility

Responsibility can be developed through practice and reflection. Setting personal goals, managing time effectively, and reflecting on one’s actions are ways to cultivate personal responsibility. Participating in community service and staying informed about social issues can enhance social responsibility.

Responsibility is not just a moral obligation; it is a necessary component for personal growth and societal well-being. It manifests in various forms, from personal to professional, and its absence can have detrimental effects. By embracing responsibility in all its forms, individuals can lead more fulfilling lives, and societies can thrive. As we navigate the complexities of the modern world, the value of responsibility becomes even more pronounced, making it an indispensable virtue for the future.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Generate an essay on the importance of extracurricular activities for student development

Write an essay discussing the role of technology in modern education.

Essays on Responsibility

Responsibility Essay: Topic Ideas & Responsibility Writing Prompts

“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say” Martin Luther

There are a lot of other good quotations that can serve as a good beginning for your essay on responsibility and provide good ideas for writing.

However, responsibility can be viewed from different perspectives, which is why making the final decision for your essay on responsibility can be rather challenging.

If this is your main problem with the responsibility essay, we are glad to help you and offer some brilliant ideas, just check our website .

• 👔 Your Major Responsibilities
• 🔋 Power and Responsibility
• 💻 Social Responsibility Essays
• ❓ Why Is It so Hard to Take It?

✍️ Other Responsibility Essay Topics

1. 👔 your major responsibilities.

If you have absolutely nothing to talk about in the responsibility essay, writing about yourself and your duties can be a good option. So, what are you responsible for? Have your responsibilities changed with time? Do you think you are good at fulfilling them?

2. 🔋 Power and Responsibility

“With great power comes great responsibility” – this can be the main idea of your essay. Do you agree that people who possess power are responsible for many things ? What happens if powerful people act irresponsibly?

3. 💻 Social Responsibility Essays

Do you agree that today people have a lot of rights but do not think much about their responsibilities? Which one of them does a citizen have or a simple person who lives in society along with other people? Answer these questions in your essay on responsibility .

4. ❓ Why Is It so Hard to Take It?

Why are some people afraid to take responsibility for their actions? In your essay on responsibility , introduce several situations like that and tell about the consequences of not taking responsibility.

• Is responsibility a fundamental quality any person must possess?
• Analyze the role of ethics and responsibility at work. 
• How do you understand corporate social responsibility?  
• Explain the role and responsibility of business.  
• The importance of corporate social responsibility in the modern world.  
• Discuss the issues of corporate social responsibility and the ways to overcome them. 
• Describe moral responsibility of each individual for the contribution in global warming.
• Explain why freedom of speech entails a great responsibility to each individual.
• Examine why the sense of responsibility is often considered a driving force of human development.
• Analyze the role of managers in development of corporate social responsibility.
• Explore the complex issue of social responsibility for advertising to children .
• Diverce interpretations interpretations of the term “responcibility” and your personal vision of responsibility .
• Why it is vital to be a responsible person .
• Modern technology, anonymity, and responsibility from a cultural relativism perspective .
• Does Apple show concern for ethical and social responsibility ?
• Discuss the specifics of professional responsibility of lawyers .
• What are you responsible for in your personal life and immediate environment ?
• Describe the peculiarities of ethical responsibility of police administrators.
• Do you feel any responsibility for the things outside of your immediate environment?
• Explain why leadership is a great responsibility.
• Positive and negative impact of globalization on corporate social responsibility in international companies. 
• Analyze the responsibility of citizens for the actions their government take.
• Examine the importance of socially responsible leadership in education .
• What is the student’s responsibility at college?  
• Discuss the connection between social and personal responsibility .
• How to become responsible ?
• Explore the connection between personal responsibility and success.
• The role of parents in formation the sense of responsibility in children.
• The basic aspects of corporate responsibility philosophy. 
• What does personal responsibility towards the society include?
• Discuss the human responsibility for issues outside the immediate environment.
• Are the leaders responsible for social media posts of their team?
• Explore who is responsible for the epidemic of childhood obesity
• Describe the areas of responsibility people have in their personal lives.
• Why do people often shrink from personal responsibility ?
• Benefits of corporate social responsibility. 
• Who is responsible for poverty and violence in developing nations ?
• Explain why you consider yourself a responsible human being .
• Discuss the strong and weak points of the personal responsibility concept.
• People’s responsibility for inhumane acts.
• Describe different points of view on the concept of responsibility.
• Analyze the concept of responsibility from ethical point of view.
• Are parents responsible for children’s crimes?
• What does responsibility mean to you?
• Should celebrities be responsible for being role models?
• Explain why free will is a huge responsibility.
• What are the major traits of a responsible person ?
• Discuss the ethical responsibility in nursing profession.
• Where are the limits of personal responsibility ?
• Describe the connection between responsibility and morality.

Well, this is it for now. If you are asked to cover other complicated topics, remember that we can also help you with essays on leadership and many-many others.

Learn more on this topic:

• Efficient Essays on Environment vs Development: Useful Tips
• Disaster Management Essay: Great Ideas for Effective Plan
• How to Write a Narrative Essay: Easy Guide and Useful Tips
• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to LinkedIn
• Share to email

Exemplification essays, which are also called illustration essays, are considered one of the easiest papers to write. However, even the easiest tasks require some experience and practice. So, if you are not experienced enough in writing exemplification essays, you will face certain challenges.

You push the snooze button once again and finally open your eyes. It is already 8:50, and your classes start at 9. “I’m going to be late again!”— you think, already in full panic mode. In a minute, you rush out the door half-dressed, swallowing your sandwich on the go.  ...

An essay about Harriet Tubman is to focus on the biography and accomplishments of a famous American abolitionist and political activist of the 19th century. Harriet Tubman was born into slavery, escaped it herself, and helped others escape it. She changed many jobs throughout her lifetime, being a housekeeper, a...

What is a documented essay and what is the purpose of it? It is a type of academic writing where the author develops an opinion relying on secondary resources. A documented essay can be assigned in school or college. You should incorporate arguments and facts from outside sources into the...

What is a reflexive essay? If you have just received the assignment and think there is a typo, you’re in the right place. Long story short, no, there is no mistake. You actually need to write a reflexive essay, not a reflective one. The thing is that reflective and reflexive...

Fairies and evil spirits, noble kings and queens, beautiful princesses and brave princes, mysterious castles and abandoned huts somewhere in a thick a wood… This is all about fairy tales. Fairy tales are always associated with childhood. Fairy tales always remind us that love rules the world and the Good...

Subjective or objective essay writing is a common task students have to deal with. On the initial stage of completing the assignment, you should learn how to differentiate these two types of papers. Their goals, methods, as well as language, tone, and voice, are different. A subjective essay focuses on...

Writing All About Me paragraph is probably one of the most usual assignments. For example, students might write it when entering an academic institution. Such work gives an opportunity to introduce yourself, your skills, and goals. However, it is not the only possible situation.

Coral reefs can be called one of the most amazing things created by nature. These structures can be found in tropical and temperate waters. Like many other unique natural phenomena, coral reefs are influenced by human activity these days. This negative impact is one of the significant issues to consider when...

An ambition essay focuses on one’s strong desire to achieve success in one or several areas. It might be one’s career, finance, family, art, health, or all at once. Writing an ambition essay, you might want to consider your own life or examples from the world literature. You can describe...

The age of primary school students ranges from 5 to 11 years. At this stage of education, children start developing their writing skills. They make their first steps to analyzing and proving their points of view. Besides, they study how to write an essay for elementary school. Correctly preparing all...

Canadian identity is something that has become really important for many Canadians in the past fifty years. Canada is a big, multinational country with its own traditions, culture, and history. However, because of quite a large number of foreigners and even Americans, its culture and people are associated with the...

This was extremely helpful. Thanks! I have to complete a responsibility essay in a couple of days, and this post was golden to me. Again, thanks!

Awesome info! This actually what I need for writing my essay on responsibility. I must thank you for this amazing help!

Why Responsibility Is So Important

Written by Steve Rose

Identity, purpose, and belonging, 13 comments(s).

With all of the social distancing measures over the last year, we have been repeatedly told by public health officials that it is our responsibility to stay home and flatten the curve.

You are not responsible for the problem, but you now find yourself responsible for part of the solution.

It can be frustrating, it can be isolating, and it might not seem fair.

Although we may sometimes want to resist the calls to take responsibility, consider the other areas of life where you are not responsible for the problem but still need to be part of the solution.

If you’ve experienced trauma leading to mental health issues, you are not responsible for the problem, but you are responsible for being part of the solution.

The same goes for a heredity illness. You are not responsible for the problem, but you are responsible for being part of the solution.

Falling into a victim mindset only serves to strengthen the problem.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, you can check out my  resource page  for suggestions on how to find help.

Table of Contents

What is responsibility?

Responsibility is the ability to respond.

Not paralyzed by fear, plagued by anxiety, or procrastinating, pretending the problem doesn’t exist.

Responsibility means being prepared, but not panicked. It requires planning, but not perfectionistic plots to control the uncontrollable.

Responsibility consists of accepting uncertainty, knowing you will do what you can control, and letting go of the things you cannot.

Responsibility requires a response proportional to the problem, adapting to obstacles as they arise.

The psychologist Jordan Peterson says the physical posture of responsibility is standing up straight with your shoulders back, in 12 Rules for Life :

To stand up straight with your shoulders back is to accept the terrible responsibility of life, with eyes wide open. It means deciding to voluntarily transform the chaos of potential into the realities of habitable order. It means adopting the burden of self-conscious vulnerability, and accepting the end of the unconscious paradise of childhood, where finitude and mortality are only dimly comprehended. It means willingly undertaking the sacrifices necessary to generate a productive and meaningful reality (it means acting to please God, in the ancient language).

Why is responsibility important?

Responsibility is important because it provides a sense of purpose, in addition to building resilience amidst adversity on an individual and societal level.

Like an addiction, sidestepping responsibility may feel good in the short-term, but leads to exponentially worse pain and suffering in the long term.

A tiger metaphor by Steven Hayes seems fitting here.

Imagine you adopted a tiger cub into your home. It is cute, cuddly, and harmless. You notice it begins to purr loudly, and the only way you can make it stop is to feed it red meat. Over the months and years, you keep doing this, but the tiger is now several hundred pounds, requiring whole sides of beef. Rather than a cute purr, the tiger roars ferociously for its meat. You are terrified, so you keep giving him the meat so he will leave you alone. The more you feed it, the larger it gets, and the more trapped you become.

In this metaphor, feeding the tiger symbolizes sidestepping your responsibilities. There is temporary relief, but a long term cost. Each time you avoid responsibility, you are feeding the tiger, making the problem larger, giving up long term freedom and control.

Why do people choose to become trapped in troublesome tiger relations? Jordan Peterson explains one potential reason in 12 Rules for Life :

Sometimes, when people have a low opinion of their own worth or, perhaps, when they refuse responsibility for their lives they choose a new acquaintance, of precisely the type who proved troublesome in the past. Such people don’t believe that they deserve any better so they don’t go looking for it. Or, perhaps, they don’t want the trouble of better.”

Let’s go deeper into how low self-worth prevents responsibility and look at how to build a sense of purpose through responsibility to one’s self, one’s family, and one’s society.

Responsibility provides a sense of purpose

Avoiding responsibility destroys a sense of purpose. Purpose comes from a sense of contribution and connection to something larger than yourself. But first, it is necessary to take responsibility for yourself. By being the best version of yourself, you can then be the most helpful to others.

Being responsible for yourself

This requires taking care of your basic needs. In the recovery community, it is common to use the acronym, HALT. Are you hungry, angry, lonely, or tired? Regularly check in on your current state and address deficiencies where appropriate.

Another way to maintain self-responsibility is to organize the clutter in your physical environment and the chaos in your day-to-day life. Prioritize your sleep, nutrition, and exercise. If all of this sounds overwhelming, start small. As Jordan Peterson says, “Clean your damn room!” But as he also says, “Cleaning up your room involves cleaning up far more than your room.”

Doing something useful for yourself is the first step in reorienting yourself amidst the mental fog of purposelessness. As the fog begins to thin out, you can start to see beyond yourself. This leads to step two:

Being responsible within your family 

Once you’re adequately useful to yourself and can help from a place of genuine giving, you can be useful to others close to you.

I mention genuine giving because many people try to be useful to others without addressing their own needs first. This often results in codependent relationships where you do things for others to fill a lack of self-esteem in yourself. It is an experience of toxic shame where we constantly feel the need to prove ourselves and receive external validation. This may feel like “taking responsibility,” but it is often unhelpful and is just feeding the internal tiger, masking underlying issues with self-worth.

See my article The Need to be Needed for an in-depth description of this interpersonal dynamic.

If you’ve worked through these personal areas and can engage in close interpersonal relationships based on genuine heartfelt giving, the next step is this:

Being responsible within the broader society

Being socially responsible can happen in various ways. Right now, it simply means staying home to prevent community spread of the viral infection.

During regular times, being socially responsible might take place in your work, volunteer roles, or leisure activities.

The key to maximizing your social responsibility is contributing in a way that fits your unique personal strengths. For example, if your strengths are working with people, and you value compassion, developing and applying these strengths allows you to maximally contribute socially.  

A lack of fit between your strengths, values, and interests can hinder your level of usefulness in your work, resulting in a low sense of purpose within the role. Finding alignment between your abilities and your role requires first knowing your strengths and cultivating them. 

Not cultivating and applying your unique strengths doesn’t just rob you of a sense of purpose, but it also robs the broader society of your potential contributions.

Conclusion 

Although you may not be responsible for personal or social issues, you are still responsible for being part of the solution.

Avoiding responsibility comes with a short term gain at a long term cost.

Taking responsibility creates long term resilience and a sense of purpose.

This sense of purpose can be fostered by taking responsibility for one’s self by engaging in self-care. Responsibility can also be developed on a familial and societal level, offering a sense of purpose proportional to your ability to contribute your unique abilities.

Fascinated by ideas? Check out my podcast:

Struggling with an addiction.

If you’re struggling with an addiction, it can be difficult to stop. Gaining short-term relief, at a long-term cost, you may start to wonder if it’s even worth it anymore. If you’re looking to make some changes, feel free to reach out. I offer individual addiction counselling to clients in the US and Canada. If you’re interested in learning more, you can send me a message here .

Other Mental Health Resources

If you are struggling with other mental health issues or are  looking for a specialist near you, use the Psychology Today therapist directory  here to find a practitioner who specializes in your area of concern.

If you require a lower-cost option, you can check out BetterHelp.com . It is one of the most flexible forms of online counseling.  Their main benefit is lower costs, high accessibility through their mobile app, and the ability to switch counselors quickly and easily, until you find the right fit.

*As an affiliate partner with Better Help, I receive a referral fee if you purchase products or services through the links provided.

As always, it is important to be critical when seeking help, since the quality of counselors are not consistent. If you are not feeling supported, it may be helpful to seek out another practitioner. I wrote an article on things to consider here .

You May Also Like…

The Power Of Authenticity In Recovery

Mar 15, 2024

As you fall deeper into addiction, you might find yourself wearing a mask so often that it starts to feel like a...

The Power of Self Acceptance

Feb 27, 2024

Imagine finding yourself in a relentless cycle, where each mistake or setback plunges you deeper into a vortex of...

How to Overcome the Inner Critic

Imagine you're walking through your day, and there's a persistent whisper that follows you. It critiques every...

13 Comments

you’ve seen me comment on your posts before, dear Steve, commending you on your writing abilities, but you outdo yourself here, standing amongst philosophers, Marcus Aurelius, for instance, Epictetus, eminent moralists, in bringing heart to your strong and disciplined account of “responsibility” – philosophy is perhaps your true dimension, just saying – all the very best, R ! chard

Great to see you on here again, Richard! I remember you used to enjoy my articles on veterans in transition to civilian life. Thank you for such kind words. Hope you are well! Take care.

I really appreciate the focus on personal responsibility. A well-written message that people need to internalize. We are part of the solution, and it is tempting to think that we can ‘bend the rules’ for some want or need, with unintended consequences the result. I will reblog this on my blog.

Thanks Eric! I believe the ethics of Emanuel Kant apply here. Universalize your individual Maxim. In other words, ask yourself, if everyone did the same thing, is that the type of world you would want to live in?

Crikey …. well this hit me rather hard. I’ve been feeding that tiger so long now that I don’t even know quite where to start. Everything you said there makes total sense. I look forward to reading more of your posts although frankly I’m rather worried. I think I’m going to be making some monumental decisions before too long. I wish I could just bury my head in the sand. Thanks for the post. Katie

It is, a collective responsibility for us, as a whole group of living organisms, to prevent the spread of this current outbreak, and, we must all, abide by the rules of the government, not just for our own sake’s, but for the good, of the, entire, human population on the planet.

I think one thing that’s regularly missed in the conversation about “needing to be needed“ is that people who are “more needy” tend to be socially marginalized. So we find ourselves looking after one another because others w needs are the people available to us. (Others in an AA group, for instance) And then other folks further justify our marginalization by defining us as “codependent helpers.” Of course the second thing that’s overlooked is the reality that people are wired to be connected with other people (belonging) and experience ourselves as valuable through those relationships (meaning, purpose). All of which you have written about extensively.

Thank you for sharing this! I completely agree. My article on the need to be needed covers this. I do want to go deeper into the marginalization vs. individual agency dynamic a bit deeper though. Thank you for highlighting this! I am planning on doing an article on the meaning of the serenity prayer to explore this dynamic further.

Steve, I may quote you on this definition, “responsibility is the ability to respond” … so well said! Thank-you, Carole

No problem! Thank you!

I agree 100%. It can be deadly for high risk people. I like your perspective. We have a responsibility, so that we don’t spread it and make it worse, and contribute to the pandemic.

4 or 6 million people out of 7 billion people. Think about that for just a moment, really. That in my opinion does not represent a pandemic. 6 million out of 7 billion is not even 1% of the population. It would have to be 20% or more of 7 billion before I would even to begin the notion of a true pandemic. Break away from the heard. Use your brain,don’t fall into a sheeple existence. Don’t be a chump. All these people putting this much trust in the CDC and the media leaves me feeling like there is no hope for our future. I have to remind myself that it’s really not their fault or anyone’s fault,they have been brainwashed and pre-programmed, unknowingly. You don’t need a psychologist or at least I don’t,to come to that conclusion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Essay on Responsibility Of Youth

Students are often asked to write an essay on Responsibility Of Youth in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Responsibility Of Youth

Importance of youth responsibility.

Youth are the future. They have the power to shape the world. It’s important for them to understand their responsibilities. This includes caring for themselves, their families, and their communities. They should also respect the law and the rights of others.

Personal Responsibility

Youth have a duty to take care of their health. This means eating well, exercising, and avoiding harmful habits. They also need to focus on their education. Learning new skills can help them succeed in life.

Family Responsibility

Young people should help their families. They can do chores, take care of siblings, and support their parents. Family is a team, and everyone needs to do their part.

Community Responsibility

Youth should also help their communities. They can volunteer, clean up parks, or help neighbors. By doing these things, they can make their communities better places to live.

Respect for Law and Rights

Finally, youth must respect the law and the rights of others. They should follow rules and treat everyone with kindness. This helps create a peaceful society.

250 Words Essay on Responsibility Of Youth

Introduction.

Youth is a time of energy and potential. It is a time when we can shape our life. As young people, we have many responsibilities. These are not just to ourselves, but also to our families, our communities, and our world.

Responsibility to Self

The first duty of youth is to themselves. They must take care of their health and education. They should eat healthy food, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. They should also study hard to gain knowledge and skills. This will help them to be successful in the future.

Responsibility to Family

Young people also have a duty to their families. They should respect their parents and elders. They should help with household chores. They should also care for their younger siblings. This helps to strengthen family bonds.

Responsibility to Society

Youth also have a role to play in society. They should be good citizens. They should obey laws and respect authority. They should also help those in need. This can be done by volunteering or donating to charity.

Responsibility to the World

Finally, youth have a responsibility to the world. They should care for the environment. They should also promote peace and understanding among different cultures and religions. This helps to make the world a better place.

In conclusion, youth have many responsibilities. By fulfilling these duties, they can make a positive impact. They can help to shape a better future for themselves and for everyone.

500 Words Essay on Responsibility Of Youth

Youth is a time of energy, growth, and potential. It is a period when we can shape our futures and influence our societies. As young people, we carry a great responsibility. This essay will explore the various responsibilities of youth.

Role in Society

Young people play a critical role in society. They are the leaders of tomorrow, and their actions today will shape the future. They have the responsibility to be informed about world events, local issues, and the needs of their communities. They must participate in social activities, volunteer work, and community service. By doing this, they can contribute to society and make the world a better place.

Education and Learning

Education is another key responsibility of youth. Young people must strive to learn and grow, not only in school but also in life. They should seek knowledge, develop skills, and cultivate curiosity. This will prepare them for future challenges and opportunities. They must also respect their teachers and peers, fostering a positive learning environment for all.

Health and Well-Being

Young people also have a responsibility towards their health and well-being. They should eat healthily, exercise regularly, and avoid harmful habits like smoking or excessive screen time. They should also take care of their mental health, seeking help when needed. By doing this, they can ensure a healthy and productive future.

Respect and Kindness

Respect and kindness are essential responsibilities of youth. Young people should treat others with dignity and respect, regardless of their background or beliefs. They should also show kindness and empathy towards others. This promotes harmony and understanding in society.

Environment Protection

Youth have a vital role in protecting the environment. They should be aware of environmental issues and take steps to reduce their carbon footprint. They can do this by recycling, conserving water, and using renewable energy. They should also advocate for environmental policies and participate in environmental campaigns.

In conclusion, the responsibilities of youth are vast and varied. From contributing to society and pursuing education, to maintaining health, showing respect, and protecting the environment, young people carry a heavy load. Yet, it is through these responsibilities that they can truly make a difference. As they step into adulthood, they carry with them the power to shape the future. It is up to them to use this power wisely, fulfilling their responsibilities and creating a better world for all.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Responsibility For Students
• Essay on Responsibility For Health
• Essay on Philosophy On Education

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• How It Works
• All Projects
• Top-Rated Pages
• Admission essay writing
• Book report writing
• Cheap essay writing
• Coursework writing
• Dissertation writing
• Essay editing
• MBA essay writing
• Scholarship essay writing
• Term paper writing
• Write my essay
• Free sample essays
• Writing blog

How to Write Catchy Responsibility Essays in 2023

Writing great responsibility essays and getting them to read and rank is not easy. Here are top-notch tricks to help you achieve these two.

What is a Responsibility Essay?

Responsibility entails our ability to make decisions that serve our interests as well as those of others.

Therefore, an essay on responsibility has the following crucial aspects:

An in-depth understanding of trust in life The critical consequences related to it Factors that lead to its recognition in the society

Most students find essays on responsibility a hard nut to crack, which should not be the case. Read on to find out how you can craft a masterpiece responsibility essay for your assignment.

How to Write Essays About Responsibility: Structure

Now, to beat the rest of your classmates and stand a chance of attaining an A+, you have to master the secret ingredients behind all this. Keep your eyes peeled.

Before you embark on writing, a persuasive outline would correctly set the pace for you. What should your framework entail?

• Identify a Thematic Area of Interest on Responsibility

It contains the title and, subsequently, the basis of your thesis statement. Such should be a topic that interests you (and your readers) so that you can write it with a smile.

The topic should be:

• Relevant to your readers
• One that you can research on
• Precise and appealing to anyone who comes around it

For instance, if your focus is on personal responsibility essays, you can choose from the following topics:

• Maturity and personal responsibility
• How to deal with obligations systematically
• Personal responsibility and blame on oneself
• Personal responsibility plays a significant role in college

From these topics, you can then derive an A-grade thesis statement that will be the rest of your essay’s driving force. Here is an example:

• Personal responsibility is the hallmark of maturity. Here is why it is so.

There are many other ideas that you can use to start your responsibility essay to win the hearts of your readers.

• Determine the Different Sub-categories to Support Your Major Idea

After having your topic and thesis statement, here comes the heart of the matter, the body. You will need to support your claims with relevant examples, facts, and statistics.

Let us see great prompts that you can use for the following types of essays:

Age of Responsibility Essays

In such kinds of essays, your body should answer the following questions:

• What is the age of responsibility, and who determines it?
• Why that age bracket is considered responsible
• Are there any psychological factors related to that age?

Social Responsibility Essays

One can tackle this type of essay with the following questions in mind:

• What if all the members of the society were responsible?
• What are some of the problems, challenges, and conflicts in society?
• Are people relying much on rights and neglecting responsibilities?
• What are the impacts of such a trait?
• How can we all work towards social responsibility?

Essays on Responsibility and Accountability

Use the following thoughts to write your essay body:

• Who should hold people responsible?
• How does someone learn to be accountable?
• Do you think you people are responsible without someone else over them?
• What is the relationship between responsibility and accountability?
• Can an irresponsible person be liable?

Essays on Power and Responsibility

Liven up your body with some of the ideas listed below:

• Does vast power come with great responsibility?
• What should happen to irresponsible leaders?
• Are the citizens to blame for irresponsible leaders?
• How to attain responsible leadership in society

Remember that the body should present your arguments in a clear, persuasive, and amusing manner. The reader should get all his questions answered in the body.

• Summarize With a Logical Conclusion

If asked, a majority of students would tell you that the conclusion is not that important. However, contrary to that popular belief, the end is as important as the title, intro, and body.

The responsibility essays for students should:

• Be brief and to the point
• Not be a repetition of the points discussed in the body
• Have a call to action (asking the readers to be responsible either at an individual or corporate level)

Essays on personal responsibility are the cheapest to write since you can easily relate them with your own life. Therefore, take caution so as not to be emotional or add your feelings to the paper.

Personal Responsibility Essay Sample The KQ I find the most intuitive in ethical decision making is the “outcomes”. I consider this the key question to be my most important guide to the ethical decision making because actions have consequences and those consequences are not only limited to the person initiating the action but also other people. When we consider the potential outcomes of an action for different stakeholder groups including us, we can make the decisions that will advance the overall interests of all the stakeholders involved. This approach also ensures we do not only consider personal interests but can act in a selfless manner. I believe this approach also serves as a useful guide when making the laws and rules that govern the conduct of communities as well the greater society. I have been influenced to take this approach because I care about the social issues that affect the modern society and such issues include climate change, equal rights for women, and equal rights for minority groups. There are some of these issues that do not personal affect me yet I care about them because they affect many of the people I know and care about and they will also affect many of the people who have yet to be born. I believe I am part of the society and have benefitted from the investments the society has made in me. Thus, it is only fair for me to evaluate the merits of issues on the basis of their outcomes for the different stakeholder groups. I believe this approach also explains some of the laws that make our society better. For example, the current laws do not allow citizens to drive while under the influence of alcohol. This is because the potential outcomes of such an action also involve people other than the driver. In addition, the potential costs of such a conduct far outweigh any potential benefits. When we consider the outcomes of an action for all the potential stakeholders, we make decisions whose benefits are more likely to outweigh the potential costs. This approach also increases the probability of people acting in a selfless manner.

From the discussion above, any student can now be able to develop a thrilling and top-grade responsibility essay.

Do you have a 1000 word essay on responsibility and wondering where to start? Worry not! Our team of expert writers is ready to offer you cheap but quality writing help. On top of that, you can get a responsibility essay sample for free to get you started.

What is holding you now? Please send us your order and get a magic writing solution from us!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Have a team of vetted experts take you to the top, with professionally written papers in every area of study.

• Admission help
• Custom essay help
• Writing assignment
• College essay
• Coursework writing
• Custom writing
• Dissertation writing
• Homework help
• Personal statement
• Proofreading
• School papers
• Speech writing
• Thesis help
• Lab report writing
• Ghostwriting
• Book report
• Book review
• Movie review
• Testimonials
• 1-929-999-5210 Copied!
• Write my essay

Essay on Responsibility

Responsibility and the state.

Responsibility is one of the most important aspects of a human existence and personality. It is responsibility for one’s actions that makes a human. It is a commonly accepted idea that the person who is not taking responsibility for his or her actions should not and cannot be trusted, that they are not truly a human being. But in the modern world we have the ever-growing tendency of the state to remove the idea of responsibility from new and new areas of human existence. Let me explain it in my responsibility essay.

The same goes for other spheres or activity. People are freed from the responsibility for drug abuse (addicts are considered to be ill and not guilty of their situation), planning their personal lives (the state pays them pension), planning their family (they receive children’s allowance), being jobless (they get unemployment benefits), and so on, and so forth. The reason is, the state does not need independent people. The state wants people who cannot decide for themselves and don’t want to do it, people who are happy to be both ruled and supported…

Responsible Person and Their Traits

Responsibility can be determined in a variety of ways, depending on the views of a person. As far as I am convinced, being responsible means being aware of the future outcomes of your current choices. My responsibility covers my words and actions in my personal sphere, as well as in the sphere of my civil duties, such as voting and preserving the environment. I am responsible for what I say and what I do, for this my free choice, and I can control this; I am not responsible for the reaction of others since I have no control over it.

To my opinion, being a responsible person is understanding the future impact of your current choices. Responsibility, like any other complicated issue, can be perceived and defined in different ways. Some people believe that they are responsible to God; hence responsibility means obedience to Him and willingness to take either punishment or reward for their actions. Others consider themselves a part of some group or system (family, government, etc.), and for them, to be responsible means to fulfill the duties that they bear as a part of that system or group. For me, being a responsible person means understanding that a choice one makes right now will have implications for future, and considering that fact before undertaking any actions. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility” (Roosevelt 11).

I am utterly convinced that, while I must feel responsible for my own actions and words, the reaction of others to those actions and words is not my responsibility . People perceive things that happen to them in such a variety of ways that there is no possibility for me to predict their reaction; therefore, I cannot be responsible for it. For instance, I am responsible for what I say to a person, and my responsibility is to make my speech clear and polite. However, if that person listened to me absentmindedly and understood me incorrectly because of that, I am not responsible for this. When the specific experience of that person makes my speech offensive to them, it is not my responsibility either, even if I apologize out of politeness or pity.

My responsibility does transcend the borders of my immediate environment such as family or school, for civil duties are included in the things I am responsible for . In fact, civil duties are the kind of things that I take even more seriously than my personal duties. It is my civil duty to make a right choice during elections, and it is more important than the choices related to my personal life since it affects the life of other people, including future generations. As for the latter, it is my responsibility to preserve the environment, consume the resources without wasting them, and take care of nature, thus making the life better for the future people, who will inherit this world.

To conclude, my definition of responsibility is being ready to the future results of the choices you make. I am responsible for my words and actions in both personal and public spheres. However, I am not responsible for the reaction of others to my actions and words since I cannot control it.

Works Cited

Roosevelt, Eleanor. You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for More Fulfilling Life . Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1960. Print.

Cite this paper

• Chicago (N-B)
• Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2021, January 19). Responsible Person and Their Traits. https://studycorgi.com/responsible-person-and-their-traits/

"Responsible Person and Their Traits." StudyCorgi , 19 Jan. 2021, studycorgi.com/responsible-person-and-their-traits/.

StudyCorgi . (2021) 'Responsible Person and Their Traits'. 19 January.

1. StudyCorgi . "Responsible Person and Their Traits." January 19, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/responsible-person-and-their-traits/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "Responsible Person and Their Traits." January 19, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/responsible-person-and-their-traits/.

StudyCorgi . 2021. "Responsible Person and Their Traits." January 19, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/responsible-person-and-their-traits/.

This paper, “Responsible Person and Their Traits”, was written and voluntary submitted to our free essay database by a straight-A student. Please ensure you properly reference the paper if you're using it to write your assignment.

Before publication, the StudyCorgi editorial team proofread and checked the paper to make sure it meets the highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, fact accuracy, copyright issues, and inclusive language. Last updated: November 9, 2023 .

If you are the author of this paper and no longer wish to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal . Please use the “ Donate your paper ” form to submit an essay.

Review Essay on Matt King, Simply Responsible

• Published: 29 May 2024

Cite this article

• George Sher   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2309-2249 1  

This review essay discusses Matt King’s recent book Simply Responsible , in which he defends a unifying account of responsibility that spans not only moral responsibility, but also prudential and epistemic responsibility, among other forms. The first half of the essay summarizes the three key elements of King’s account--his treatment of basic responsibility, basic blame, and basic desert--while the second half takes a more critical look at each element.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Philosophy-MS 14, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA

George Sher

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to George Sher .

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Sher, G. Review Essay on Matt King, Simply Responsible . J Ethics (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10892-024-09483-8

Download citation

Received : 03 March 2024

Accepted : 25 April 2024

Published : 29 May 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10892-024-09483-8

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

2024 Elections: A guideline of dos and don'ts for voters

J OHANNESBURG - In this digital age, it’s important to know how to effectively participate in the electoral process with informed and responsible behaviour. Whether you’re voting for the first time or have been voting for years, understanding how to go about your experience will greatly impact the fairness and transparency of election outcomes.

We’ve put together a detailed guide to make the most of your voting experience:

1. You can only vote where you’re registered. That’s unless you have requested to do so from the Independent Electoral Commission and been granted permission to do so. This has caused confusion because voters could previously visit any station to cast their national ballot.

2. You may wear branded political party apparel when you vote. This may seem like a giveaway of who you may be voting for but you’re allowed to exercise your right to support your political party. Party agents and candidates, however, can’t wear any such branded apparel within the voting station or when voting.

3. You must be a South African citizen. You need to have of a green barcoded ID or smart ID card, or a valid Temporary Identity Certificate, be 18 years or older, registered to vote and have proof of registration.

4. You can only vote once. If you’ve made a mistake on your ballot paper, you may request a new one but once your name has been removed from the voters’ roll you can’t vote again.

1. You aren’t allowed to take a photo or post your marked ballot paper on social media.

2. You shouldn’t interrupt the work of voting station staff.

3. You aren’t allowed to bring any weapons to the voting station.

4. You can’t campaign for your political party or candidates within the boundaries of the voting station.

Follow the IEC on social media (Facebook, X or Instagram) or check their website for any last-minute updates or changes. The IEC also encourages anyone who is denied access to vote, or to enter a voting station due to their attire, or any discriminatory motives, to promptly notify their call centre at 0800 11 8000 or locate the area manager of the specific voting station.

By Kgomotso Kgoshe

Follow eNCA.com for your latest updates, outcomes and results of the 2024 elections.

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

• Government reform
• Civil service reform
• Election guidance for civil servants
• Cabinet Office
• Civil Service

General election guidance 2024: guidance for civil servants (HTML)

Updated 23 May 2024

© Crown copyright 2024

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected] .

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/election-guidance-for-civil-servants/general-election-guidance-2024-guidance-for-civil-servants-html

1. General elections have a number of implications for the work of departments and civil servants. These arise from the special character of government business during an election campaign, and from the need to maintain, and be seen to maintain, the impartiality of the Civil Service, and to avoid any criticism of an inappropriate use of official resources. This guidance takes effect from 00:01 on 25 May 2024 at which point the ‘election period’ begins. The Prime Minister will write separately to Ministers advising them of the need to adhere to this guidance and to uphold the impartiality of the Civil Service. 

2. This guidance applies to all UK civil servants, and the board members and staff of Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) and other arms’ length bodies.  

General Principles 

3. During the election period, the Government retains its responsibility to govern, and Ministers remain in charge of their departments. Essential business (which includes routine business necessary to ensure the continued smooth functioning of government and public services) must be allowed to continue. However, it is customary for Ministers to observe discretion in initiating any new action of a continuing or long term character. Decisions on matters of policy on which a new government might be expected to want the opportunity to take a different view from the present government should be postponed until after the election, provided that such postponement would not be detrimental to the national interest or wasteful of public money.   

4. Advice on handling such issues is set out in this guidance. This guidance will not cover every eventuality, but the principles should be applied to the particular circumstances.  

5. The principles underlying the conduct of civil servants in a general election are an extension of those that apply at all times, as set out in the Civil Service Code

• The basic principle for civil servants is not to undertake any activity that could call into question their political impartiality or that could give rise to criticism that public resources are being used for party political purposes. This principle applies to all staff working in departments.  
• Departmental and NDPB activity should not be seen to compete with the election campaign for public attention. The principles and conventions set out in this guidance also apply to public bodies.  
• It is also a requirement of the Ministerial Code that Ministers must not use government resources for party political purposes and must uphold the political impartiality of the Civil Service.  

Election queries 

6. For any detailed queries on this guidance, or other questions, officials should in the first instance seek guidance from their line management chain, and, where necessary, escalate to their Permanent Secretary who may consult the Cabinet Secretary, or the Propriety and Ethics Team in the Cabinet Office. 

7. The Propriety and Ethics Team handle general queries relating to conduct during the election period, provide advice on the handling of enquiries and any necessary co-ordination where enquiries raise issues that affect a number of departments (through their Permanent Secretary). 

8. In dealing with queries, the Propriety and Ethics Team will function most effectively if it is in touch with relevant developments in departments. 

Departments should therefore: 

• draw to their attention, for advice or information, any approach or exchange that raises issues that are likely to be of interest to other departments; and 
• seek advice before a Minister makes a significant Ministerial statement during the election period. 

Section A: Enquiries, Briefing, Requests for Information and attending events 

1. This note gives guidance on: 

• the handling by departments and agencies of requests for information and other enquiries during a general election campaign; 
• briefing of Ministers during the election period;  
• the handling of constituency letters received from Members of Parliament before dissolution, and of similar letters from parliamentary candidates during the campaign; and 
• the handling of FOI requests. 

2. At a general election, the government of the day is expected to defend its policies to the electorate. By convention, the governing party is entitled to check with departments that statements made on its behalf are factually correct and consistent with government policy. As at all times, however, government departments and their staff must not engage in, or appear to engage in, party politics or be used for party ends. They should provide consistent factual information on request to candidates of all parties, as well as to organisations and members of the public, and should in all instances avoid becoming involved or appearing to become involved, in a partisan way, in election issues. 

Requests for Factual Information 

3. Departments and agencies should provide any parliamentary candidate, organisation or member of the public with information in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Local and regional offices should deal similarly with straightforward enquiries, referring doubtful cases through their line management chain and, where necessary to their Permanent Secretary for decision. 

4. Other requests for information will range from enquiries about existing government policy that are essentially factual in nature, to requests for justification and comment on existing government policy. All requests for information held by departments must be dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The handling of press enquiries is covered in Section I.  

5. Where the enquiry concerns the day-to-day management of a non-ministerial department or executive agency and the chief executive would normally reply, he or she should do so in the usual way, taking special care to avoid becoming involved in any matters of political controversy. 

6. Enquiries concerning policies newly announced in a party manifesto or for a comparison of the policies of different parties are for the political party concerned. Civil servants should not provide any assistance on these matters. See also paragraph 14.  

7. Officials should draft replies, whether for official or Ministerial signature, with particular care to avoid party political controversy, especially criticism of the policies of other parties. Ministers may decide to amend draft replies to include a party political context. Where this is the case, Ministers should be advised to issue the letter on party notepaper. The guiding principle is whether the use of departmental resources, including headed paper, would be a proper use of public funds for governmental as opposed to party political purposes, and could be defended as such. 

Speed of Response 

8. The circumstances of a general election demand the greatest speed in dealing with enquiries. In particular, the aim should be to answer enquiries from parliamentary candidates or from any of the political parties’ headquarters within 24 hours. All candidates should be treated equally. 

9. Where a request will take longer to deal with, the requester should be advised of this as he/she may wish to submit a refined request. 

FOI requests 

10. Requests that would normally be covered by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) must be handled in accordance with the requirements of the Act and the deadlines set therein. Where the application of the public interest balance requires more time, that is permitted under the Act but there is no general power to defer a decision.   

11. Where a request needs to be considered under FOIA it will not normally be possible to get back to the parliamentary candidate, or others, within 24 hours and he or she should be advised of this as they may wish to submit a request more in line with paragraph 8 above. 

Role of Ministers in FOIA decisions 

12. Ministers have a number of statutory functions in relation to requests for information. They are the qualified person for the purpose of using section 36 of the FOI Act for their departments. During the general election period, Ministers will be expected to carry out these functions.  

13. Where there is any doubt, requests should be referred to the FOI Policy team in the Cabinet Office. 

Briefing and Support for Ministers 

14. Ministers continue to be in charge of departments. It is reasonable for departments to continue to provide support for any necessary governmental functions, and receive any policy advice or factual briefing necessary to resolve issues that cannot be deferred until after the election. 

15. Departments can check statements for factual accuracy and consistency with established government policy. Officials should not, however, be asked to devise new arguments or cost policies for use in the election campaign. Departments should not undertake costings or analysis of Opposition policies during the election period.  

Officials attending public or stakeholder events 

16. Officials should decline invitations to events where they may be asked to respond on questions about future government policy or on matters of public controversy. 

Constituency Correspondence 

17. During the election period, replies to constituency letters received from Members of Parliament before the dissolution, or to similar letters from parliamentary candidates, should take into account the fact that if they become public knowledge they will do so in the more politically-charged atmosphere of an election and are more likely to become the subject of political comment. Outstanding correspondence should be cleared quickly. Letters may be sent to former MPs at the House of Commons after dissolution, to be picked up or forwarded. Departments and agencies whose staff routinely deal directly with MPs’ enquiries should ensure that their regional and local offices get early guidance on dealing with questions from parliamentary candidates. Such guidance should reflect the following points: 

a. Once Parliament is dissolved, a Member of Parliament’s constitutional right to represent his or her constituents’ grievances to government disappears, and all candidates for the election are on an equal footing. This doctrine should be applied in a reasonable way. In general, replies should be sent by Ministers to constituency letters that were written by MPs before dissolution. Where there is a pressing need for Ministers to reply to letters on constituency matters written after the dissolution by former Members, this should be handled in a way that avoids any preferential treatment or the appearance of preferential treatment between letters from the governing party and those from other candidates. It will normally be appropriate to send a Private Secretary reply to letters on constituency matters from prospective parliamentary candidates who were not Members before the dissolution. 

b. The main consideration must be to ensure that the citizen’s interests are not prejudiced. But it is possible that a personal case may become politically controversial during the election period. Departments should therefore make particular efforts to ensure, so far as possible, that letters are factual, straightforward and give no room for misrepresentation. 

c. Replies to constituency correspondence to be sent after polling day should, where there has been a change of MP, normally be sent direct to the constituent concerned. It should be left to the constituent to decide whether or not to copy the letter to any new MP. Where there is no change in MP, correspondence should be returned to the MP in the normal way.

Section B: Special Advisers 

1. Special Advisers must agree with the Cabinet Office the termination of their contracts  on or before 30 May (except for a small number of Special Advisers who may remain in post, where the express agreement of their appointing Minister and the Prime Minister to continue in post has been given).     

2. An exception to this is where a Special Adviser has been publicly identified as a candidate or prospective candidate for election to the UK Parliament, in which case they must instead resign at the start of the short campaign period ahead of the election. 

3. Special Advisers who leave government for any reason will no longer have preferential access to papers and officials. Any request for advice from a former Special Adviser will be treated in the same way as requests from other members of the public.  

4. On leaving government, Special Advisers should return all departmental property e.g. mobile phones, remote access and other IT equipment. Special Advisers may leave a voicemail message or out of office reply on departmental IT with forwarding contact details.  

5. Special Advisers receive severance pay when their appointment is terminated, but not where they resign. Severance pay for Special Advisers is taxable as normal income and will be paid as a lump sum. The amount an individual is entitled to will be determined by their length of service as set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers. Special Advisers are required to agree that if they are reappointed, they will repay any amount above that which they would have been paid in salary had they remained in post. Any excess severance will be reclaimed automatically through payroll on reappointment.  

6. If the Prime Minister agrees exceptionally that a Special Adviser should remain in post during the election period, their appointment will be automatically terminated the day after polling day. In those cases, Special Advisers may continue to give advice on government business to their Ministers as before. They must continue to adhere to the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and may not take any public part in the campaign. Section A is also relevant in relation to the commissioning of briefing. 

7. Different arrangements can be made for Special Advisers on, or about to begin, maternity leave when a UK general election is called. These arrangements are set out in the Maternity Policy for Special Advisers, and Special Adviser HR are best placed to advise on specific circumstances.

8. If there is no change of government following the election, a Special Adviser may be reappointed. The Prime Minister’s approval will be required before any commitments are made, and a new contract issued, including for any advisers who have stayed in post.

Section C: Contacts with the Opposition Party 

1. The Prime Minister has authorised pre-election contact between the main opposition parties and Permanent Secretaries from 11 January 2024. These contacts are strictly confidential and are designed to allow Opposition spokespeople to inform themselves of factual questions of departmental organisation and to inform civil servants of any organisational or policy changes likely in the event of a change of government.  

2. Separate guidance on handling such contacts is set out in the Cabinet Manual.

Section D: Contact with Select Committees 

1. House of Commons Select Committees set up by Standing Order continue in existence, technically, until that Standing Order is amended or rescinded. In practice, when Parliament is dissolved pending a general election, membership of committees lapses and work on their inquiries ceases.  

2. House of Lords Select Committees are not set up by Standing Orders and technically cease to exist at the end of each session. 

3. The point of contact for departments continues to be the Committee Clerk who remains in post to process the basic administrative work of the committee (and prepare for the re-establishment of the Committee in the next Parliament).  

4. Departments should continue to work, on a contingency basis, on any outstanding evidence requested by the outgoing committee and on any outstanding government responses to committee reports. It will be for any newly-appointed Ministers to approve the content of any response. It will be for the newly-appointed committee to decide whether to continue with its predecessor committee’s inquiries and for the incoming administration to review the terms of draft responses before submitting to the newly appointed committee. 

5. It is for the newly-appointed committee to decide whether to publish government responses to its predecessor reports. There may be some delay before the committee is reconstituted, and an incoming government may well wish to publish such responses itself by means of a Command Paper. In this event, the department should consult the Clerk of the Committee before publication of the report response.

Section E: Political Activities of Civil Servants 

1. Permanent Secretaries will wish to remind staff of the general rules governing national political activities. These are set out in the Civil Service Management Code and departmental staff handbooks. 

2. For this purpose, the Civil Service is divided into three groups: 

a. the “politically free” – industrial and non-office grades; 

b. the “politically restricted” – members of the Senior Civil Service, civil servants in Grades 6 and 7 (or equivalent) and members of the Fast Stream Development Programme; and

c. civil servants outside the “politically free” and “politically restricted” groups  

3. Civil servants on secondment to outside organisations (or who are on any form of paid or unpaid leave) remain civil servants and the rules relating to political activity continue to apply to them. Departments should seek to contact individuals on secondment outside the civil service to remind them of this. Individuals seconded into the Civil Service are also covered by these rules for the duration of their appointment. 

Civil Servants Standing for Parliament  

4. All civil servants are disqualified from election to Parliament (House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975) and must resign from the Civil Service before standing for election. Individuals must resign from the Civil Service on their formal adoption as a prospective parliamentary candidate, and must complete their last day of service before their adoption papers are completed. If the adoption process does not reasonably allow for the individual to give full notice, departments and agencies may at their discretion pay an amount equivalent to the period of notice that would normally be given. 

Other Political Activity 

5. “Politically restricted” civil servants are prohibited from any participation in national political activities.  

6. All other civil servants may engage in national political activities with the permission of the department, which may be subject to certain conditions.  

7. Where, on a case by case basis, permission is given by departments, civil servants must still act in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code, including ensuring that they meet the Code’s values and standards of behaviour about impartiality and political impartiality. Notwithstanding any permission to engage in national political activities, they must ensure that their actions (and the perception of those actions) are compatible with the requirements to: 

• serve the government, whatever its political persuasion, to the best of their ability in a way which maintains political impartiality and is in line with the requirements of the Code, no matter what their own political beliefs are; and 
• act in a way which deserves and retains the confidence of ministers, while at the same time ensuring that they will be able to establish the same relationship with those whom they may be required to serve in some future government. 

Reinstatement 

8. Departments and agencies must reinstate former civil servants who have resigned from “politically free” posts to stand for election and whose candidature has proved unsuccessful, provided they apply within a week of declaration day.  

9. Departments and agencies have discretion to reinstate all other former civil servants who have resigned to stand for election and whose candidature has proved unsuccessful. Former civil servants in this category seeking reinstatement should apply within a week of declaration day if they are not elected. Departments are encouraged to consider all applications sympathetically and on their merits. For some individuals, it may not be possible to post them back to their former area of employment because, for instance, of the sensitivity of their work and/or because their previous job is no longer vacant. In these cases, every effort should be made to post these staff to other areas rather than reject their applications.

Section F: Cabinet and Official Documents 

1. In order to enable Ministers to fulfil their continuing responsibilities as members of the Government during the election period, departments should retain the Cabinet documents issued to them. Cabinet documents refers to all papers, minutes and supplementary materials relating to Cabinet and its committees. This is applicable to meetings of and correspondence to Cabinet and its committees. 

2. If there is no change of government after the election, Ministers who leave office or who move to another Ministerial position must surrender any Cabinet or Cabinet committee papers or minutes (including electronic copies) and they should be retained in the department in line with guidance issued by the Cabinet Office.  Ministers who leave office or move to another Ministerial position should also not remove or destroy papers that are the responsibility of their former department: that is, those papers that are not personal, party or constituency papers. 

3. If a new government is formed, all Cabinet and Cabinet committee documents issued to Ministers should be destroyed. Clearly no instructions can be given to this effect until the result of the election is known, but Permanent Secretaries may wish to alert the relevant Private Secretaries.  

4. The conventions regarding the access by Ministers and Special Advisers to papers of a previous Administration are explained in more detail in the Cabinet Manual. Further guidance to departments will be issued by the Cabinet Office once the outcome of the election is known.  

5. More detailed guidance on managing records in the event of a change of administration will be held by your Departmental Records Officer. The Head of Public Records and Archives in the Cabinet Office can also provide further advice and written guidance can be found here: 

Guidance management of private office information and records

Section G: Government Decisions 

1. During an election campaign the Government retains its responsibility to govern and Ministers remain in charge of their departments. Essential business (including routine business necessary to ensure the continued smooth functioning of government and public services) must be carried on. Cabinet committees are not expected to meet during the election period, nor are they expected to consider issues by correspondence. However there may be exceptional circumstances under which a collective decision of Ministers is required. If something requires collective agreement and cannot wait until after the General Election, the Cabinet Secretary should be consulted.  

2. However, it is customary for Ministers to observe discretion in initiating any action of a continuing or long term character. Decisions on matters of policy, and other issues such as large and/or contentious commercial contracts, on which a new government might be expected to want the opportunity to take a different view from the present government, should be postponed until after the election, provided that such postponement would not be detrimental to the national interest or wasteful of public money. 

Statutory Instruments 

3. The principles outlined above apply to making statutory instruments. 

Departmental lawyers can advise in more detail, in conjunction with the Statutory Instrument Hub.  

4. The general principle that Ministers should observe discretion in initiating any new action of a continuing or long-term character applies to the making of commencement orders, which during the election period should be exceptional.  As is usual practice, statutory instruments are required to go through the Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee process before they can be laid.

Section H: Public and Senior Civil Service Appointments

1. All appointments requiring approval by the Prime Minister, and other Civil Service and public appointments likely to prove sensitive (including those where Ministers have delegated decisions to officials or other authorities) should be frozen until after the election, except in exceptional circumstances (further detail below). This includes appointments where a candidate has already accepted a written offer (and the appointment has been announced before the election period), but where the individual is not due to take up post until after the election. The individual concerned should be told that the appointment will be subject to confirmation by the new Administration after the election. 

2. It is recognised that this may result in the cancellation (or delay) of an appointment by the new Administration, and that the relevant department could be vulnerable to legal action by a disappointed candidate. To reduce the risk of this, departments might wish to: 

• recommend to their Secretary of State the advisability of bringing forward or delaying key stages in the process, where an appointment would otherwise likely take effect just before or after an election; 
• issue a conditional offer letter, making it clear that the formal offer of the appointment will need to be confirmed by a new Administration. 

3. In cases where an appointment is due to end between dissolution and election day, and no announcement has been made concerning the new appointment, it will normally be possible for the post to be left vacant or the current term extended until incoming Ministers have been able to take a decision either about reappointment of the existing appointee or the appointment of a new person. This situation is also likely to apply to any appointments made by Letters Patent, or otherwise requiring royal approval, since it would not be appropriate to invite His Majesty to make a conditional appointment. 

4. In exceptional cases where it is not possible to apply these temporary arrangements and there is an essential need to make an appointment during the election period, departments may wish to advise their Ministers about consulting the Opposition before a final decision is taken. Departments should consult the Public Appointments Policy Team in the Cabinet Office. 

5. In the case of public and Senior Civil Service appointments, departments should delay the launch of any open competition during an election period, to give any incoming Administration the option of deciding whether to follow the existing approach.  

6. In those cases where an appointment is required to be made, it is acceptable, in the case of sensitive Senior Civil Service positions, to allow temporary promotion.  

Section I: Communication Activities during a General Election

1. The general principle governing communication activities during a general election is to do everything possible to avoid competition with parliamentary candidates for the attention of the public, and not to undertake any activity that could call into question civil servants’ political impartiality or that could give rise to criticism that public resources are being used for party political purposes. Special care must be taken during the course of an election since material produced with complete impartiality, which would be accepted as objective in ordinary times, may generate criticism during an election period when feelings are running high. All communication activity should be conducted in line with Government Communication Service (GCS) guidance on propriety and propriety in digital and social media .  

2. Departmental communications staff may properly continue to discharge their normal function during the election period, to the extent of providing factual explanation of current government policy, statements and decisions. They must be particularly careful not to become involved in a partisan way in election issues.  

3. During the election period, access to departmental briefing systems will be restricted to permanent civil servants who will produce briefing, and answer requests for information, in line with the principles set out in Section A of the election guidance. Any updating of lines to take should be confined to matters of fact and explanations of existing government policy in order to avoid criticism of serving, or appearing to serve, a party political purpose.  

News Media  

4. In response to questions departments should, where possible, provide factual information by reference to published material, including that on websites. Specific requests for unpublished material should be handled in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act. 

5. Routine factual press notices may continue to be issued – for example statistics that are issued on a regular basis or reports of publicly-owned bodies, independent committees etc., which a department is required to publish. 

6. There would normally be no objection to issuing routine factual publications, for example health and safety advice, but these should be decided on a case by case basis, in consultation with the Director or Head of Communications, who should take account of the subject matter and the intended audience. A similar approach should apply to blogs and social media. 

7. Press releases and other material normally sent to Members of Parliament should cease at the point at which this guidance comes into effect. 

8. Statements that refer to the future intentions of the Government should not be handled by a department and should be treated as party political statements. Where a Minister considers it necessary to hold a governmental press conference to make clear the Government’s existing policies on a particular subject prior to the election, then his or her department should provide facilities and give guidance. Ultimately, each case must be judged on its merits, including consideration of whether an announcement needs to be made, in consultation with the Director or Head of Communications.  

9. The Propriety and Ethics Team in the Cabinet Office must be consulted before a Minister makes an official Ministerial statement during the election period. 

10. Statements or comments referring to the policies, commitments or perceived intentions of Opposition parties should not be handled by departments. 

Press Articles, Interviews, and Broadcasts and Webcasts by Ministers  

11. During the election period, arrangements for newspaper articles, interviews and broadcasts by Ministers, including online, will normally be made on the political network. Care should be taken by communications staff in arranging any press interviews for Ministers during this period because of the possibility that such interviews would have a strong political content. They should not arrange broadcasts through official channels unless they are satisfied there is a need to do so and that the Minister is speaking in a government, not party, capacity. 

Paid Media 

12. Advertising, including partnership and influencer marketing. New campaigns will in general be postponed and live campaigns will be paused (across all advertising and marketing channels). A very small number of campaigns (for example, relating to essential recruitment, or public health, such as blood and organ donation or health and safety) may be approved by the Permanent Secretary, in consultation with GCS and the Propriety and Ethics Team.

a. International activity. Where marketing is delivered outside the UK and targeting non-UK citizens, the campaign can continue during the election period, subject to Permanent Secretary approval and as long as consideration has been given to the potential for the campaign to garner interest within the UK and to reach UK diaspora. If continuing the campaign is likely to generate domestic interest, it should be paused.

b. Official radio ‘fillers’ will be reviewed and withdrawn unless essential.

13. Films, videos and photographs from departmental libraries or sources should not be made available for use by political parties.  

14. Printed material should not normally be given any fresh distribution in the United Kingdom during the election period, in order to avoid any competition with the flow of election material. The effect on departments that distribute posters and leaflets to the public is as follows: 

a. Posters. The normal display of existing posters on official premises may continue but efforts should not be made to seek display elsewhere. Specific requests by employers, trade unions etc for particular posters may, however, be met in the ordinary way. 

b. Leaflets. Small numbers of copies of leaflets may be issued on request to members of the public and to parliamentary candidates, in consultation with the Director or Head of Communications, who should take account of the subject matter and the intended audience. Bulk supplies should not be issued to any individuals or organisations without appropriate approval. 

c. Export promotion stories and case studies for overseas use may continue to be sought  in the UK but it must be made clear on each occasion that this information is needed for use abroad, and permission must be sought from the Permanent Secretary before proceeding. 

d. The use of public buildings for communication purposes is covered in Section L. 

15. Exhibitions. Official exhibitions on a contentious policy or proposal should not be kept open or opened during the election period. Official exhibitions that form part of a privately sponsored exhibition do not have to be withdrawn unless they are contentious, in which case they should be withdrawn. 

Social Media and Digital Channels 

16. Official websites and social media channels will be scrutinised closely by news media and political parties during the election period. All content must be managed in accordance with GCS propriety guidance.

Publishing content online  

17. Content Design: planning, writing and managing content guidance   should be consulted when publishing any online content.

18. Material that has already been published in accordance with the rules on propriety and that is part of the public domain record can stand. It may also be updated for factual accuracy, for example a change of address. However, while it can be referred to in handling media enquiries and signposting in response to enquiries from the public, nothing should be done to draw further attention to it. 

19. Updating the public with essential factual information may continue (e.g. transport delays) but social media and blogs that comment on government policies and proposals should not be updated for the duration of the election period.  

20. Ministers’ biographies and details of their responsibilities can remain on sites, no additions should be made. Social media profiles should not be updated during this period. 

21. Site maintenance and planned functional and technical development for existing sites can continue, but this should not involve new campaigns or extending existing campaigns.  

22. News sections of websites and blogs must comply with the advice on press releases. News tickers and other mechanisms should be discontinued for the election period. 

23. In the event of an emergency, digital channels can be used as part of Crisis Communication  activity in the normal way. 

Further Guidance 

24. In any case of doubt about the application of this guidance in a particular case, communications staff should consult their Director or Head of Communications in the first instance, then, if necessary, the Chief Executive, Government Communication Service, Chief Operating Officer, Government Communication Service, or the departmental Permanent Secretary who will liaise with the Propriety and Ethics Team in the Cabinet Office.

Section J: Guidance on Consultations during an election period 

1. In general, new public consultations should not be launched during the election period. If there are exceptional circumstances where launching a consultation is considered essential (for example, safeguarding public health), permission should be sought from the Propriety and Ethics Team in the Cabinet Office. 

2. If a consultation is on-going at the time this guidance comes into effect, it should continue as normal. However, departments should not take any steps during an election period that will compete with parliamentary candidates for the public’s attention. This effectively means a ban on publicity for those consultations that are still in process. 

3. As these restrictions may be detrimental to a consultation, departments are advised to decide on steps to make up for that deficiency while strictly observing the guidance. That can be done, for example, by: 

a. prolonging the consultation period; and 

b. putting out extra publicity for the consultation after the election in order to revive interest (following consultation with any new Minister). 

4. Some consultations, for instance those aimed solely at professional groups, and that carry no publicity, will not have the impact of those where a very public and wide-ranging consultation is required. Departments need, therefore, to take into account the circumstances of each consultation. Some may need no remedial action – but this is a practical rather than propriety question so long as departments observe the broader guidance here. 

5. During the election period, departments may continue to receive and analyse responses with a view to putting proposals to the incoming government but they should not make any statement or generate publicity during this period.   

Section K: Statistical Activities during a General Election 

1. This note gives guidance on the conduct of statistical activities across government during a general election period.  [footnote 1]

2. The same principles apply to social research and other government analytical services.  

3. Under the terms of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007, the UK Statistics Authority, headed by the National Statistician, is responsible for promoting and safeguarding the integrity of official statistics. It should be consulted in any cases of doubt about the application of this guidance.  

Key Principles 

4. Statistical activities should continue to be conducted in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics and the UK Government’s Prerelease Access to Official Statistics Order 2008, taking great care, in each case, to avoid competition with parliamentary candidates for the attention of the public. 

Statistical publications, releases, etc. 

5. The greatest care must continue to be taken to ensure that information is presented impartially and objectively. 

6. Regular pre-announced statistical releases (e.g. press notices, bulletins, publications or electronic releases) will continue to be issued and published. Any other ad hoc statistical releases should be released only in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the National Statistician, consulting with the Propriety and Ethics Team in the Cabinet Office where appropriate. Where a pre-announcement has specified that the information would be released during a specified period (e.g. a week, or longer time period), but did not specify a precise day, releases should not be published within the election period. The same applies to social research publications

Requests for information 

7. Any requests for unpublished statistics, including from election candidates, should be handled in an even-handed manner, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. Guidance on handling FOI requests can be found in Section A.  

Commentary and Briefing 

8. Special care must be taken in producing commentary for inclusion in announcements of statistical publications issued during the election period. Commentary that would be accepted as impartial and objective analysis or interpretation at ordinary times, may attract criticism during an election. Commentary by civil servants should be restricted to the most basic factual clarification during this period. Ultimately the content of the announcement is left to the discretion of the departmental Head of Profession, seeking advice from the National Statistician as appropriate. 

9. Pre-election arrangements for statistics, whereby pre-release access for briefing purposes is given to Ministers or chief executives (and their appropriate briefing officials) who have policy responsibility for a subject area covered by a particular release, should continue, in accordance with the principles embodied in the UK Government’s Pre-release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008.  

10. In general, during this period, civil servants involved in the production of official statistics will not provide face to face briefing to Ministers. Only if there is a vital operational need for information, (e.g. an out of the ordinary occurrence of market-sensitive results with significant implications for the economy, or some new management figures with major implications for the running of public services), should such briefing be provided. Any such briefing should be approved by the National Statistician.  

11. Requests for advice on the interpretation or analysis of statistics should be handled with care, and in accordance with the guidance in paragraphs 6 and 7.  

12. Requests for factual guidance on methodology should continue to be met. 

13. Requests for small numbers of copies of leaflets, background papers or free publications that were available before the election period may continue to be met but no bulk issues to individuals or organisations should be made without appropriate approval. Regular mailings of statistical bulletins to customers on existing mailing lists may continue. 

Censuses, Surveys and other forms of quantitative or qualitative research enquiry  

14. Regular, continuous and on-going censuses and surveys of individuals, households, businesses or other organisations may continue. Ad hoc surveys and other forms of research that are directly related to and in support of a continuing statistical series may also continue. Ad hoc surveys and other forms of research that may give rise to controversy or be related to an election issue should be postponed or abandoned. 

Consultations 

15. Statistical consultations that are on-going at the point at which Parliament dissolves should continue as normal, but any publicity for such consultations should cease. New public consultations, even if preannounced, should not be launched but should be delayed until after the result of the election is officially declared.  

Further Advice 

16. If officials working on statistics in any area across government are unsure about any matters relating to their work during the election period, they should seek the advice of their Head of Profession in the first instance. Heads of Profession should consult the National Statistician in any cases of doubt. Queries relating to social research, or other analytical services should similarly be referred to the relevant Head of Profession or departmental lead and Permanent Secretary’s office in the first instance. Further advice can be sought from the Propriety and Ethics Team in the Cabinet Office.

Section L: Use of Government Property 

1. Neither Ministers, nor any other parliamentary candidates, should involve government establishments in the general election campaign by visiting them for electioneering purposes. 

2. In the case of NHS property, decisions are for the relevant NHS Trust but should visits be permitted to, for example, hospitals, the Department of Health and Social Care advise that there should be no disruption to services and the same facilities should be offered to other candidates. In any case, it is advised that election meetings should not be permitted on NHS premises. NHS England publishes its own information to NHS organisations about the pre-election period.

3. Decisions on the use of other public sector and related property must be taken by those legally responsible for the premises concerned – for example, for schools, the Governors or the Local Education Authority or Trust Board, and so on. If those concerned consult departments, they should be told that the decision is left to them but that they will be expected to treat the candidates of all parties in an even-handed way, and that there should be no disruption to services. The Department for Education will provide advice to schools on the use of school premises and resources.  

4. It is important that those legally responsible for spending public funds or the use of public property ensure that there is no misuse, or the perception of misuse, for party political purposes. Decision-makers must respect the Seven Principles of Public Life when considering the use of public funds or property during the election period. The principles include an expectation that public office holders take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit and maintain their accountability to the public for their decisions and actions.

Section M: International Business 

1. This guidance specifically addresses the principles that will apply to international business.  

2. International business will continue as normal during the period of the general election.  

International meetings 

3. Decisions on Ministerial attendance and representation at international meetings will continue to be taken on a case by case basis by the lead UK Minister. For example, Ministers will be entitled to attend international summits (such as meetings of the G20).  

4. When Ministers speak at international  meetings, they are fully entitled to pursue existing UK Government policies. All Ministers, whether from the UK Government or the Devolved Administrations, should avoid exploiting international engagements for electoral purposes. Ministers should observe discretion on new initiatives and before stating new positions or making new commitments (see Section G for further advice on Government decision-making).

5. Where a Minister is unable to attend an international meeting that has been assessed as of significant interest to the UK, the UK may be represented by a senior official. In this case, where an item is likely to be pressed to a decision (a legislative decision, or some other form of commitment, e.g. a resolution, conclusions), officials should engage in negotiations and vote in line with the cleared UK position and in line with a detailed brief cleared by the lead UK Minister. Officials should engage actively where there will be a general discussion or orientation debate, but should seek to avoid taking high profile decisions on issues of domestic political sensitivity. If decisions fall to be taken at an international summit that risk being controversial between the UK political parties, departments should consult their Permanent Secretary about the line to follow who may in turn wish to consult the Cabinet Secretary. 

Changes to International Negotiating Positions

6. There may be an unavoidable need for changes to a cleared UK position that require the collective agreement of Ministers. This may arise, for example, through the need for officials to have sufficiently clear negotiating instructions or as a result of the agreed UK position coming under pressure in the closing stages of negotiation. If collective agreement is required, the Cabinet Secretary should be consulted (see Section G). The Cabinet Secretariat can advise departments where they are unsure whether an issue requires further collective agreement. 

7. Departments should note that the reduced availability of Ministers during the election period means that it will be necessary to allow as much time as possible for Ministers to consider an issue. 

Relations with the Press 

8. Departmental Communication staff may properly continue to discharge, during the election period, their normal function only to the extent of providing factual explanation of current government policy, statements and decisions. They must be particularly careful not to become involved in a partisan way in election issues. 

9. Ministers attending international meetings will no doubt wish to brief the press afterwards in the normal manner. But where officials attend meetings in place of Ministers, they should be particularly circumspect in responding to the press on any decision or discussion in the meeting that could be regarded as touching on matters of domestic political sensitivity. If departments wish to issue press notices following international meetings on the discussions or decisions that took place, they should be essentially factual. Any comment, especially on items of domestic sensitivity, should be made by Ministers. In doing so, consideration will need to be given as to whether such comment should be handled by the department or the party. This must be agreed in advance with the Permanent Secretary.  

International Appointments 

10. The UK should not normally make nominations or put forward candidates for senior international appointments until after the election. It remains possible to make nominations or put forward candidates for other positions. Departments should consult their Permanent Secretary and the Propriety and Ethics Team in Cabinet Office on appointments that risk being controversial between the UK political parties.

Section N: The Devolved Administrations

1. The general election does not affect the devolved administrations in the same way. The devolved legislatures are elected separately to the House of Commons. Devolved Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will continue to carry out their devolved functions in those countries as usual.

2. Under the Civil Service Code, which also applies to all civil servants, civil servants in the devolved administrations serve Ministers elected through elections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and do not report to the UK Government. Accordingly, this guidance does not apply to them. They will continue to support their Ministers in their work. 

3. However, the devolved administrations acknowledge that their activities could have a bearing on the general election campaign. While the devolved administrations will continue largely as normal, they are aware of the need to avoid any action that is, or could be construed as being, party political or likely to have a direct bearing on the general election. Staff in the devolved administrations will continue to refer requests for information about reserved issues from MPs, parliamentary candidates and political parties to the relevant UK department. Requests for information about devolved issues will be handled in accordance with relevant FOI legislation, taking account of the need for prompt responses in the context of an election period. 

4. Officials in the devolved administrations are subject to the rules in Section E as regards their personal political activities, in the same way as UK Government officials. 

5. Discussions with the devolved administrations during the election period should be conducted in this context. For more general details on how best to work with the devolved administrations see the Cabinet Office guidance: Devolution guidance for civil servants

Section O: Public Bodies 

1. The general principles and conventions set out in this guidance apply to the board members and staff of all NDPBs and similar public bodies. Some NDPBs and ALBs employ civil servants.  

2. NDPBs and other public sector bodies must be, and be seen to be, politically impartial. They should avoid becoming involved in party political controversy. Decisions on individual matters are for the bodies concerned in consultation with their sponsor department who will wish to consider whether proposed activities could reflect adversely on the work or reputation of the NDPB or public body in question.

This includes departments and their agencies and other relevant public bodies including all public bodies deemed to be producers of official statistics by dint of an Order in Parliament.  ↩

Is this page useful?

• Yes this page is useful
• No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab) .