Conversations on citizenship: young people's perceptions and performances of democratic citizenship

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to illuminate how the practice of democratic citizenship compares to ideals of it. I hope to provide a clear view of what contemporary democratic citizenship means, how this conception has been formed, and how democratic citizenship can be effectively practiced to serve the ideals held by democratic citizens. To do this, this paper will be comprised in several parts. After an initial explanation of the theoretical perspective used, I will explore how democracy was understood and implemented in the formative stages of United States government. Next I review contemporary practices of citizenship before examining how presidential primary debates are a reflection of contemporary democracy. Finally, I talk with young people about their perceptions and performances of citizenship. In these conversations I hope to learn how the meaning of citizenship impacts their actions as democratic citizens.