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Republican requirements for access to citizenship
Author(s)
Date Issued
2009
Date Available
2011-03-24T16:45:30Z
Abstract
This chapter considers from a republican perspective the legitimate conditions for naturalization. If citizenship is understood as membership in a self-governing community, some boundaries are justified. But citizenship may be acquired almost automatically by dint of long-term residence. Nonetheless, republican citizenship is quite demanding: it requires a capacity to communicate, an awareness of interdependence among citizens, a sense of responsibility to the wider society and an inclination to engage deliberatively with others in public debate. On a republican view, the state may promote these through civic education for all citizens, and may require language classes and participation in certain practical political exercises for applicants for citizenship. But the requirement that applicants achieve fixed standards in tests of knowledge, skills or values is not desirable. Few conditions not required of native born citizens should be required of those naturalizing, and these should be more a matter of participation than of skills or identity.
Sponsorship
Not applicable
Type of Material
Book Chapter
Publisher
Palgrave Macmillan
Copyright (Published Version)
2009 Palgrave Macmillan
Subject – LCSH
Citizenship
Naturalization
Republicanism
Language
English
Status of Item
Not peer reviewed
Part of
G. Calder, J Seglow, and P. Cole (eds). Citizenship Acquisition and National Belonging : Migration, Membership and the Liberal Democratic State
ISBN
9780230203198
This item is made available under a Creative Commons License
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