December 3, 2015
So, what do we mean when we speak of someone as being a good citizen? If you’d asked me a decade ago, I would have said the good citizen is well-informed, votes regularly, occasionally signs petitions and writes to his elected representative. I might have added that the exemplary citizen does not only pursue her self-interest but also takes into account what is appropriate for the wider community, even if she does not thereby directly benefit. As a result of my membership in a MacArthur Foundation research network called “Youth and Participatory Politics,” I’ve changed my mind.