Who Should We Count as Citizens? Categorizing People in Public Administration Research

Abstract

Abstract Citizenship is a core concept in public administration research. This article examines how the concept was employed in 29 research articles published in Public Administration Review since 2009. It finds two difficulties. The first is a tendency to omit an explicit definition of the concept, contrary to good practice. The second is a tendency to adopt an implied definition of citizenship that encompasses all of the general population. The article considers possible justifications for current practice. Research would be improved by using the concept less frequently, defining it explicitly, adopting a definition that is closer to ordinary usage, and attending more carefully to the ways in which attitudes and behavior are influenced by a person's status within a jurisdiction.

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