Citizenship is a term that describes the relationship between an individual and the state. It is a complex concept that has been debated for centuries. The main idea is that a citizen has rights and responsibilities in society. Citizenship has different dimensions based on a country’s history, culture and ideology. Some views of citizenship include a legal status, the recognition of specific groups and democratic participation. Other ideas focus on a feeling of belonging and the sharing of a common culture. A good citizen should respect community values, laws and the rights of others. They should participate in the political process and try to make a difference.
In the classical, or classical-liberal, tradition, citizenship is a legal status that confers certain civil, political and economic rights. It also guarantees a citizen the right to vote and to hold public office. In this view, the role of a citizen is to exercise these rights through parliamentary and legislative channels, such as the national legislature or local city council.
In contrast, the liberal, or civic-republican, tradition defines citizenship more broadly as a feeling of loyalty to and identification with a particular community. In this view, the primary duty of the citizen is to support the institutions of democracy, including the judicial and executive branches of government.
The modern definition of citizenship has expanded significantly in recent times. It is now commonly defined as a form of membership in a nation-state, or polity. This includes a person’s rights and obligations in a given region, including the obligation to pay taxes, obey the law and contribute to the well-being of the community.
Whether one views citizenship as a reward or as a means to a cohesive society has a profound effect on policy implications. If it is a reward, it is subject to various restrictions, while if it is a social good it should be facilitated.
In contemporary society, a major concern is the level of citizen involvement in the democratic process. It has become increasingly obvious that periodic voting is insufficient to hold those who govern accountable and promote feelings of power among ordinary citizens.
A number of solutions are being considered to address these concerns. These include increasing citizens’ participation in the political process through education and training, facilitating political action groups, and encouraging the formation of civic associations. The emphasis is on promoting a culture of civic responsibility and a commitment to the democratic ideals of freedom of speech, assembly and association.
Another dimension of citizenship is the recognition of cultural, gender, class and race differences. Critics of universalism have proposed an alternative, a contextualized conception of the political that embraces diversity without reducing citizenship to the mere fact of being a member of a political community. This approach recognizes that politics cannot be insulated from private/social/economic life and thus revives the notion of citizenship. It also acknowledges that, in some cases at least, equal respect may warrant differential treatment and special minority rights.