Citizenship and Identity in the 21st Century

April 2008 Meeting

Citizenship has become a dynamic policy vehicle for promoting the political incorporation—and even complete integration—of immigrants. The Transatlantic Council on Migration commissioned a series of policy papers analyzing how citizenship impacts political participation, identity, and social cohesion. The papers were presented during the Council’s inaugural meeting in Bellagio, Italy, in April 2008. Read the Council Statement issued following the meeting.

Delivering Citizenship
The 21st century promises to be an “Age of Mobility.” More people around the globe, from an ever greater variety of backgrounds, are migrating. As Europe and North America absorb larger and more diverse inflows, many policymakers, commentators, and academics are questioning whether their societies can cope with the influx.

This book is the first major product of the Transatlantic Council on Migration. It offers insights into key aspects of the citizenship debate from a policy perspective. It is a result of the deliberations and thinking of the Transatlantic Council on Migration, which brings together leading political figures, policymakers and innovative thinkers from the USA and Europe.

Individual papers presented at the Council's meeting are available below:

Stakeholder Citizenship: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Rainer Bauböck of the European University Institute proposes a stakeholder principle to guide citizenship policies in Europe and North America. 

Dual Citizenship in an Age of Mobility
Thomas Faist and Jürgen Gerdes of Bielefeld University discuss the evolution of global views towards dual citizenship and discuss its benefits and drawbacks. 

Local Voting Rights for Non-Nationals in Europe
University of Nijmegen Sociology of Law Professor Kees Groenendijk examines what is known and what should be learned about local voting rights across Europe and their effect on integration, naturalization, and political participation. 

A New Citizenship Bargain for the Age of Mobility?
Randall A. Hansen of the University of Toronto details citizenship requirements in Europe and North America, examining individual countries’ language, civics, and citizenship test mandates.

The Complexities of Immigration: Why Western Countries Struggle with Immigration Politics and Policies
Jennifer L. Hochschild of Harvard and John Mollenkopf of the City University of New York discuss the complexities facing political parties of the left and right sparked by high levels of immigration.

Transatlantic Council Statement: Delivering Citizenship
The Council, in this Statement, concentrates on citizenship, which has become a dynamic policy vehicle for promoting the political incorporation of immigrants and their more complete integration. It is necessary to clarify definitions and imagine broad goals and desired outcomes before attempting to design and implement effective citizenship policies to meet the needs of society as a whole.