ABSTRACT
The idea of citizenship has a long history in Western political philosophy, from the city-states of ancient times to the representative democracies of advanced capitalist societies. Citizenship connotes both a status and a practice. As status, it entails a set of formal relationships between individuals and the state, typically including important rights (the right to vote; freedom of speech, religion, and association) but few if any duties. As practice, citizenship involves a range of capacities, activities, and obligations constitutive of political life, such as participation in governance and the duty to consider the general good.
