Citizenship is a concept that describes an individual and his or her relationship to the state. Broadly speaking, a citizen is some-one who, under the laws and practices of a particular state, is seen as a member of the state and has particular rights and duties. These may or may not include the right to participate in the decision-making of the state. The meaning of citizenship in a democracy is associated more specifically with the right to participate in governance.

In a democracy, citizens enjoy a range of political rights, including the right to be represented in the affairs of the state. These rights are aimed to protect and promote peoples’ ability to impact on decisions, rules, structures and processes which affect their own lives. Citizens’ rights in a democracy are counter-balanced with the responsibilities of citizenship. The flip-side of having the right to co-determine the ‘rules of the game’ is the responsibility to uphold the rules thus agreed to.