, Columnist
Why Citizenship Matters
The weaker the commitment to citizenship, the worse the prospects for liberal democracy.
Liberal democracy starts here.
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Western democracies aren't working well. Liberal democratic norms are under strain in the U.S. and much of Europe. In other parts of the world, authoritarian governments grow confident and ambitious. As citizens of democratic countries, we can all agree: Restoring the vitality of our systems of government is essential.
One crucial yet neglected part of this task is to understand what we mean by that phrase, "As citizens."