What Makes a “Democratic Citizen?” Four Traits “Democratic Citizens” Should Have

Is living in a democratic country the same as being a “democratic citizen?” The answer isn’t as clear-cut as it seems, as “rule by the people” requires that citizens take an active role in governing structures but many citizens in democracies today fail to do so. Here, we take a closer look at four characteristics of an ideal “democratic citizen” and why they are important.

Democratic citizens...

1. Start when they are young

Perhaps another way to phrase this would be, “democratic citizens” are not born, they’re made. While civic education about national institutions and citizenship are important to teach youth, one recent study demonstrates that youth have the ability to act as “democratic citizens” even before they can vote in local or national elections, such as through student councils at their schools, protests, and attending meetings. Students who participated in said activities while young ended up being more politically active once reaching adulthood. The critical part here is that the core of democracy - i.e. “rule by the people” - is something that even youngsters can understand and the more they experience it while young, the greater likelihood they stay “democratic citizens” as adults.

2. Learn by doing?

To paraphrase American philosopher John Dewey, democracy is not merely what you believe a government should be, it is a way of living. A “democratic citizen” is someone who not only spreads the good word of democracy, but practices what they preach, such as by running for office, participating in meetings, and joining democratically-run associations while encouraging others to do the same. Each of these offer us the chance to engage in conflict resolution in a fair, democratic manner with our peers and understand both sides of democracy: governing and being governed. To put it another way, a “democratic citizen” doesn’t just talk about democracy, they live it.?

3. Trust one another

What’s trust got to do with democratic citizenship? A lot, actually, as people can’t be expected to rule themselves without trusting each other enough to work together towards common goals. As we discuss in a blog post, this trust isn’t about trusting your national representatives or governments, but rather the trust in your neighbors and fellow members which is gained by forming interpersonal relationships and working together to improve one’s community, association, or organization. Does this mean you will always agree with one another? Of course not! We all have interests, experiences, and origins which make us distinct. A “democratic citizen” recognizes that, even if there are disagreements, all their fellow citizens deserve respect as equal parts of a democratic community.

4. Are active with a purpose?

Taking a step back to a previous point, a “democratic citizen” doesn’t just do “democratic” things for fun (not that democracy isn’t fun!) or out of a vague sense of duty to something. A “democratic citizen” is someone who understands both why it is good, on an individual and a community level, to solve problems democratically and how citizens can utilize democratic structures to achieve their goals and gain influence. The “democratic citizen” has a good grasp of the “what” and the “why” of democracy, namely the processes behind democratic rule and the goals we have in mind when deciding to organize ourselves democratically.?

Looking for the full story on what it means to be a “democratic citizen?” Head on over to our blog post on the topic here ?? https://assemblyvoting.com/blog/the-democratic-citizen/

Written by Alexander Boylston, writer at Assembly Voting