ABSTRACT
Democratic citizenship depends on citizens and their chosen representatives acting in the public interest. Conover and colleagues describe three current models of citizenship. The first describes citizenship as a liberal model that sees citizenship as a contractual framework of rights, guaranteeing individuals the right to choose their values and preferred ways of life. The second paradigm is described as a cultural pluralist model, which explains that because of inherent biases and stereotypes, some groups are privileged and used as prototypes that define the culture. Third, there is a communitarian model, which rejects the previous two models as unrealistic, given the limitations of human nature. Citizenship behaviors depend upon community and individuals' orientation to rules, roles, and values. Citizenship in the EU is disentangled from nationality and this separation complicates global and local concerns. With the actions of value-oriented citizens in mind, political participation in democratic systems presents an interesting paradox.
