Global Citizenship Essay -- Government

The concept of citizenship and its boundaries are contested, yet its definition in the plainest form is to be a member of a political community, such as a nation-state and possess legal rights and political duties. As can be seen from its many ideals – namely republican, liberal, bound, cosmopolitan, pluralist or solidarist – citizenship has multiple sources of meaning, be they cultural, religious, ethnic or gender related. These conceptions each have their respective merits and downfalls, which shall be assessed and measured in this essay by the extent to which they permit the best use and protection of the citizen’s rights and duties. Although the arguments of Linklater (1998) and Miller (2000) shall form either side of the examination and debate between cosmopolitan citizenship (or what shall be referred to as global citizenship in this context) and bounded citizenship, it does not mean that by the end of this analysis one shall be the better alternative. Furt hermore, the shared flaws of either shall be highlighted. This leads to the conclusion that a compromise can be found between the two; whereby the thoughts of Kant are considered (1795), particularly that of compassion towards the alien and having a representative form of cosmopolitan citizenship, yet also there is sympathy to be found within the argument that bounded citizenship promotes civic involvement and responsibility, which may be lost if a wholly cosmopolitan form was adopted. In the case made by Miller (2000) he employs the natural evolution of bounded citizenship, which initially began ‘within the walls of the city-state’ (2000, p.88), as a reason for it being the better conception, as over time it has preserved its value – potentially at the expense of excl... ...essed 7/01/12. Post, R. (2007), Religion and Freedom of Speech: Portraits of Muhammad. Constellations, 14: 72–90. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8675.2007.00423.x Pufendorf, S (1964b). DE OFFICIO HOMINIS ET CIVIS JUXTA LEGEM NATURALEM LIBRI DUO, Volume Two, The Translation By Frank Gardner Moore. 2nd ed. New York, London: Oceana Publications Inc. Wildy & Sons Ltd. p32. http://www.constitution.org/puf/puf-dut.htm#1 Date acc. 6/01/12. Rousseau, J. (1772). Considerations on the Government of Poland and its Proposed Reformations. Available: http://www.constitution.org/jjr/poland.htm Date acc. 7/01/12. Vattel, E. (1758). The Law of Nations. Available: http://www.constitution.org/vattel/vattel.htm Date acc. 7/01/12. Wendt, A. (1994), Collective Identity Formation and the International State, The American Political Science Review, Vol. 88, No. 2 (Jun., 1994), pp. 384-396