Evolution of Citizenship: From Antiquity to Modern States

Limitations of Ancient Citizenship

Note three primary limitations of the models of citizenship born in Greece and Rome:

• This was an exclusive citizenship where only adult male citizens who met requirements established by law were included; women, children, and foreigners were always excluded.
• Only those considered free and equal members of the political community held the status of citizens, rather than all human beings by virtue of their existence.
• While political participation was a granted right, individual rights were not protected against possible abuses by the authorities.

The Double Root of Modern Citizenship

Citizenship in antiquity presents two distinct traditions: the Greek tradition of political participation through deliberation and the Roman tradition of legal protection of personal rights. The first informs the modern republican idea of citizenship, which insists that citizens must actively participate in public life. The second informs the liberal version of citizenship, which stresses the priority of individual rights and downplays the necessity of political participation.

Modern Citizenship and the State

Building on Greek and Roman roots, the modern concept emerged during the 17th and 18th centuries through French, English, and American influences. During the Middle Ages and the birth of capitalism, the concept of natural rights for all human beings was forged. To protect these rights, a new type of political community was established: the modern nation-state. This institution is obligated to defend the life, limb, and property of its members.

The term "State" was popularized by Machiavelli in the expression Stato. Bodin endowed the concept of the absolute state with sovereignty, autonomy, religious neutrality, and absolute power. In the modern state, the full members are its citizens.

Nationality and Legal Principles

In the State, it is the citizens who hold the nationality of that country. According to the customs of each nation, priority is given to specific features to recognize citizenship for every newborn:

• Jus Soli (Land Law): Stipulates that citizenship must be recognized for anyone born within the country's territory.
• Jus Sanguinis (Right of Blood): Gives priority to the nationality of the parents.

In a system governed by the rule of law, the subject's will is essential to preserve or change nationality. Furthermore, the collective will of the other citizens of that State is required to allow or deny those changes.