Cross-Country Variation in People’s Attitudes toward Citizens’ Rights and Obligations: A Descriptive Overview Based on Data from the ISSP Citizenship Module 2014

Abstract

In a world of increasing democratization and global migration, questions of the access to citizenship as well as of citizens’ political, civil, and social rights and obligations play a decisive role. Whereas citizens in many countries do not make use of their democratic rights, noncitizens in many cases strive to become full members of society. The current International Social Survey Programme module on citizenship picks up diverse attitudes toward citizens’ rights and obligations as well as self-reported political interest and action. What behavior and underlying opinions constitute a good citizen in the view of people from 34 countries, and what democratic rights do they consider important? How satisfied are they with the democratic system, the political institutions and protagonists, and their opportunities to participate in politics? This contribution sheds light on fundamental cross-country variation in these questions, among citizens from diverse countries of varying legal systems and traditions of democracy.