To understand citizenship in the United States today, and in Western democracies more generally, we must focus on this partial reality

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To understand citizenship in the United States today, and in Western democracies more
generally, we must focus on this partial reality. It has its origin in two simple facts of
political life: firstly, the security provided by the authorities cannot just be enjoyed; it must
itself be secured, and sometimes against the authorities themselves. The passive
enjoyment of citizenship requires, at least intermittently, the activist politics of citizens.
And, secondly, whenever activist politics is possible, the definition of “common liberty”
is certain to be contested [italics added] (217).

In these four sentences, Walzer describes a relatively robust vision of citizenship.  He sees citizenship as
requiring active participation. Students of citizenship must, therefore, be advocates and practitioners of
political participation.
Your task in this essay is to assess Walzer’s argument.  The goal of this essay is to explore the
importance . Does being a citizen require that a person participate in politics? Why or why not? What
must that particf political participation and how participation supports, undermines, or depends on

citizenship.  ipation look like? If you don’t participate, should you be denied citizenship?  Why or
why not?
In your essay, make sure to present YOUR argument. I want to hear why you think citizenship and
political participation are, or are not, mutually dependent (as Walzer does). If you think there is a better
way to think about citizenship, explain what it is. If you think political participation is an inherent part of
citizenship, as Walzer does, explain why and provide evidence to support your point.
Here are some suggestions as you think about this paper:
•    Be sure to state a thesis clearly and follow the other writing dogmas. This thesis should be YOUR
argument that seeks to provide an organized answer to the questions above.
•    Be sure to explain the specific evidence you are using to support your argument.
•    Exemplary papers will connect theory to at least one specific example from the news.
•    All sources must be cited.  If you use a quote from Walzer, use a parenthetical reference including
the page number (see Walzer quote above for an example).
•    Be sure to spell- and grammar-check your paper.  While the paper will not be graded solely on
spelling and grammar, writing mistakes detract from a persuasive essay.