Between Consent and Descent: Conceptions of Democratic Citizenship

The author clarifies the sources of Western concepts of citizenship, from the ancient Greeks to modern social democrats: where they came from, how they evolved, and where they tend to lead. Into this concise historical account he weaves a profound critical analysis of the contrasting values embodied in different approaches to civic membership.

Source: Washington, DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1996

Controversies over citizenship are both a cause and a consequence of contemporary migration. In many settings, ill-defined and often conflicting ideas about citizenship leave substantial numbers of people feeling excluded and vulnerable. The author clarifies the sources of Western concepts of citizenship, from the ancient Greeks to modern social democrats: where they came from, how they evolved, and where they tend to lead. Into this concise historical account he weaves a profound critical analysis of the contrasting values embodied in different approaches to civic membership.

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