What is Civic Nationalism?
Civic nationalism is a form of nationalism that bases national identity on shared citizenship. In this view, anyone can belong to the nation if they accept its constitution, laws and core political values and take part in public life. It is usually contrasted with ethnic nationalism, which bases national identity on shared ancestry, language or culture. Civic nationalists believe that a strong sense of national belonging supports democracy, solidarity and social trust. At the same time, they argue that this belonging should be open to people of different origins and faiths.
Core beliefs
- The nation is a community of citizens bound by shared political values and institutions.
- Membership is open to anyone who accepts those values, regardless of ancestry.
- Equal rights and the rule of law apply to all citizens.
- A common civic language and education help newcomers integrate.
- National loyalty supports democracy, welfare and mutual trust.
- Religion is a private matter and does not define who belongs.
History
Civic ideas of the nation are often linked to the American and French revolutions in the late eighteenth century, which defined the people as citizens holding equal rights. Jean-Jacques Rousseau's idea of a self-governing people shaped this tradition. In 1882 the French scholar Ernest Renan described a nation as a daily plebiscite, meaning that it rests on the shared will to live together rather than on race or language. In the twentieth century, the historian Hans Kohn made an influential distinction between civic forms of nationalism in Western Europe and North America and ethnic forms elsewhere. Later scholars criticized this geographic division as too simple, but the contrast between civic and ethnic nationalism remains widely used.
Variants
Liberal nationalism holds that national identity and liberal rights support each other and that states may promote a shared national culture within liberal limits. Constitutional patriotism, a term developed in postwar Germany, holds that loyalty should be directed to democratic constitutional principles rather than to the nation as a cultural group. Republican civic nationalism, associated with the French tradition, stresses a secular public sphere and a single shared civic identity. Multicultural civic nationalism accepts shared civic values while also recognizing group identities.
Criticisms
Critics on the cosmopolitan left argue that civic nationalism still draws a line between citizens and outsiders and can justify strict borders and unequal treatment of noncitizens. Some scholars argue that no nation is purely civic, because citizenship rules, official languages and national holidays always reflect a particular culture. Critics on the nationalist right argue that civic nationalism is too thin to hold a nation together and that shared history, religion and culture matter more than abstract values. Others note that integration policies based on civic values can place heavy demands on religious minorities.
In practice
Civic nationalist ideas have shaped citizenship law in many countries. Birthright citizenship and naturalization based on residence, language and civic knowledge reflect a civic view of membership. Citizenship tests and oaths of allegiance, used in countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia, focus on knowledge of political institutions and values. The French model of secular republican citizenship and the German idea of constitutional patriotism have also influenced public debates about integration and national identity.