What Does It Mean to Be a Citizen?   /   Fall 2008   /    From the Editor

Introduction

Most of us think of citizenship as a political ideal. To be a citizen is to be a member of a political community, namely the nation-state. With it, of course, come certain legal rights (such as the rights of habeas corpus, the rights of free speech, the right to bear arms, and so on) as well as political responsibilties (such as the duty to participate in elections, to serve as a member of a jury, and the like). On the face of it, citizenship is rather straightforward, uncomplicated, and not all that interesting.

But citizenship is more than a legal designation. It is also a cultural ideal. It is infused with moral meaning, encompassed by normative principles, values, and expectations that all derive from the social, historical, and cultural context of the times.

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