Grandiose Citizenship and the Dialectic of the Citizen and the Self. Issue 2 (25th May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gagnon, Jean-Paul
• Editors: Dobrowolsky, Alexandra; MacDonald, Fiona; Raney, Tracey; Collier, Cheryl N.; Dufour, Pascale
• Is Part Of: Canadian journal of political science. Volume 50:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 625
• Page End: 629
• Publication Date: 2017-05-25
• Subjects: Political science -- Periodicals; 320
• DOI: 10.1017/S000842391700035X
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0008-4239

Abstract

Abstract : Democracy depends on a competent citizenry. Individuals composing the citizenry, for instance, need to have the knowledge, skill set and disposition that will allow them to professionally engage their elected representatives, to deeply understand the characteristics of their polities, to meaningfully participate in the public sphere and, overall, to collectively embody a shared life observable to others as being democratic in its nature. Yet we are confronted with the realization that an institution of the citizenry, as here expressed, is not observable in any democracy. This reflects badly for practised democracies today. If anything it brings their democratic credentials into doubt.