Boundaries of political community in Europe, the US, and Canada

Abstract

European Union citizenship, a central achievement of European integration, reconfigures the meaning of boundaries within Europe by superimposing a new political community over already-existing member state political communities. In this way, Europe becomes comparable to federal states such as the United States and Canada, which are usually viewed in terms of singular citizenship but which can be better understood through the lens of overlapping jurisdiction and multilevel citizenship. Case studies of the free movement of students and workers show that all governments must balance the desire for equal citizenship with demands for ‘own polity first.’ Migration between US states or Canadian provinces raises worries about social dumping analogous to those raised by Euroskeptics concerned about EU free movement. Yet despite significant internal variation, overarching welfare programs assuage these worries about the ability of governments to control the boundaries of political community, and should be considered for Europe.