ABSTRACT
A central problem in citizenship theory is the tendency to generate parallel interpretations that are mutually self-reinforcing. Because citizenship transcends both the universality of rights and the pragmatism of individual obligation, it implies on the one hand the recognition of a universal principle and on the other a form of social contract between the state and the individual. The true meaning of citizenship falls apart when one or both of these requirements are not fulfilled. Furthermore, conceiving of citizenship within the limits of a state’s political framework that could also make the exercise of rights and obligations structurally difficult would seem to undermine the liberal-pluralist view of citizenship common among democratic polities.
