The Good Citizen

Russell Dalton

Chapters 1 - 3

Celebrity Citizen Faceoff

Dick Luger Angelina JolieVS

Celebrity Citizen Faceoff

Ralph Nader Pat BuchananVS

Celebrity Citizen Faceoff

Elizabeth Dole Robert RedfordVS

Citizenship

What is your traditional understanding of being a good citizen?

What is Dalton’s definition?

Are you a good citizen? Better than your parents?

3 Aspects of Citizenship

1. Public Participation Distinctive element of American political culture

3 Aspects of Citizenship

2. State Authority Includes state sovereignty & rule of law Legitimacy and trust

3 Aspects of Citizenship

3. Social Rights Relationships to others Ethical and moral responsibility

4 Norms of Good Citizenship

1. Participation What encompasses participation and why is it

important?

2. Autonomy What is autonomy and why is it important?

3. Social Order What does social order citizenship entail?

4. Solidarity How does solidarity play out within the United

States? In other countries?

2 Dimensions of Citizenship

Citizen Duty Reflects traditional notions of citizenship as the

responsibilities of a citizen-subject. What kinds of things does a good duty citizen

do?

Engaged Citizen Reflects changing and more expansive notions

of citizenship. How is an engaged citizen different from a duty

citizen?

Dalton’s Argument

A decline of duty citizenship has been counterbalanced by a rise in engaged citizenship

What do you think this change means for democracy?

Modernization

“The modernization of American society has transformed the norms of citizenship, and this is affecting the political values and actions of the American public—often in positive ways that previous research has overlooked.”

Generation Change

“Older Americans … were raised in a different era, with different expectations and practices of citizenship” 1952: 85% of electorate 2004: 5% of electorate

Education Change

“Advanced industrial societies require more educated … citizens, and modern affluence has expanded educational opportunities” How does education affect engaged citizenship?

Technology Change

“The politically relevant skills and resources of the average American have increased dramatically” How does new

technology increase your politically relevant skills?

Labor Change

“The traditional blue-collar employee works in a hierarchical organization…”

Knowledge workers are “creative, adaptive, and technologically adept” Individuality, diversity,

openness, meritocracy

Gender Change

“The women’s movement changed these social roles in a relatively brief span of time. Women steadily moved into the workplace, entered universities and became more engaged in the political process”

Racial Change

Racial minorities have been incorporated into the American electorate more than ever before. How did the civil rights

movement encourage the development of engaged citizenship?

Religious Change

… “strength of religious attachments is positively related to adherence in duty-based citizenship”

Gradual secularization of American society may be another factor in the rise of engagement over duty citizenship

Partisan Differences

“Support for democracy and principles of good government and good citizenship should not be the domain of only one party”

Republican Party: more emphasis on duty-based elements of citizenship

Democratic Party: more emphasis on social dimension of citizenship

Conclusion

Dalton suggests the shift in citizenship norms will continue

Younger generations are unlikely to start thinking like their grandparents; we need to understand how shifting norms will reshape democratic politics

Both duty and engagement citizenship have positive impacts on the political process, and both have limitations

1-Minute Paper

Which citizenship value is most important to you personally? Why?

Vote Serve in military Be active in groups Pay taxes Understand others Help worse off in US

Obey the law Form own opinions Volunteer Help worse off

elsewhere Keep watch on

government