Final answer:
In a government that serves the people, individuals have obligations such as obeying laws and paying taxes, while the government must protect their rights and liberties. Civil disobedience is justified when laws are unjust, and the people can overthrow a government that fails to protect their rights, as per the social contract.
Step-by-step explanation:
Political Obligations to the Government
In a nation where government is the servant of the people, the people have several fundamental obligations to the government. Among these responsibilities are respecting and obeying the rule of law, fulfilling duties such as paying taxes, serving in the military if called upon, and sitting on juries. In return, governments are expected to secure the rights and liberties of the people, providing security and protection.
These obligations form part of what is known as the social contract, a philosophical concept wherein individuals consent to surrender some of their freedoms in exchange for the benefits of a collective governance. Noted figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have shown that when laws become unjust, the duty to the state is differentiated from the duty to the law, and civil disobedience becomes an obligation in order to serve justice and the common good.
In the event that a government fails to protect the rights of its people, philosophers such as John Locke argue that the people have not just the right, but the duty, to overthrow and replace the government to ensure their future security. Thus, people's political obligations are inextricably linked to the government's performance of its duty to its citizens. Governments must be aligned with the general will, and in a democratic society, they derive their legitimacy from the consent of the governed.