A duty is something that one expects from others; it's a moral obligation. A responsibility is similar to accountability; the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone. The difference is rather simple, a duty is a commitment that denotes an active feeling for doing something while a responsibility allows one to act at their own will with the obligation to successfully complete an assigned task. When looking at the difference from a government standpoint, responsibilities are mandatory and duties are not required under law. In society, citizens have duties and responsibilities. For example, paying taxes, obeying laws, jury duty, serving as a witness, and registering for the draft are all responsibilities because they're mandatory under the law. An example of a duty would be voting because, while it's recommended, it's not required.