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Active Citizenship: From Panacea to Political Program — In Search of an Appealing Narrative

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Manufacturing Civil Society

Part of the book series: IIAS Series: Governance and Public Management ((GPM))

Abstract

‘The Citizen’ is very much the focal point of current interest. (S)he is described in many ways, but at the very least (s)he must be active. ‘Active citizenship’ is en vogue. In the new appeal to citizenship The Citizen is no longer a subject of the state (as in the 1950s) or an individual to empower (the 1970s) or a consumer (the 1990s). No, the ideal citizen is a participant, and is preferably self-reliant (Mathews, 1999; Fung & Olin Wright, 2003; Warren 2009). This enthusiastic talk about the role of citizens is also a commentary on how they actually behave. Government and often other citizens, have two complaints about citizens — they are too outspoken and too passive. The lazy and noisy consumer, that unwanted creation of the post-war welfare state, is no longer welcome. The well-behaved and participating citizen is wanted.

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Authors
  1. Hans Boutellier
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands

    Taco Brandsen (Professor of Comparative Public Administration) (Professor of Comparative Public Administration)

  2. Faculty of Social Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands

    Willem Trommel (Professor of Public Policy and Governance) (Professor of Public Policy and Governance)

  3. Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Ghent, Belgium

    Bram Verschuere (Assistant Professor of Public Management) (Assistant Professor of Public Management)

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© 2014 Hans Boutellier

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Boutellier, H. (2014). Active Citizenship: From Panacea to Political Program — In Search of an Appealing Narrative. In: Brandsen, T., Trommel, W., Verschuere, B. (eds) Manufacturing Civil Society. IIAS Series: Governance and Public Management. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137351630_11

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