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The manner in which citizenship should be allocated is one of the most sensitive decisions in any political community. And yet, naturalization policies have no clear theory; they include “a little bit of everything”—citizenship tests, loyalty oaths, integration contracts, attachment requirements, and language demands. Some requirements are knowledge-based (language proficiency, civic knowledge), other demands are behavior-based (good moral character, residency), and others are based on ties with the host country (residency, family, employment). Often, the goal of these policies is unknown, their format is arbitrary, their guiding ideology is controversial, and their justification is unclear.

Minority-majority tensions are among the most pressing issues of our time and a key factor in the rise of populism. The reemergence of majority nationalism raises new concerns over the tyranny of the majority. At the same time, fears over the erosion of majority groups’ cultural identity appear as a result of global migration. This calls for a reexamination of fundamental assumptions in liberal political theory and the meaning of nationhood in a globalized world.

On December 19, 2018, the U.N. General Assembly endorsed the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), a non-binding agreement approved in a historical moment in Marrakech on 10 December by 164 Member States. The GCM is the first time in which the international community has widely agreed on how to address the global migration challenge. The topic of citizenship, however, has been left outside of the GCM and remains the last stronghold of national sovereignty, which seems to need no international regulation. Is this assumption still politically valid, or is the world ready for a Global Compact on Citizenship?

At the core of the institution of citizenship lies civic virtue and political participation. In the past years, there have been attempts to use technology to motivate good citizenship through the creation of a catalog of “good deeds.” Examples of good deeds include voting, assisting the elderly, seeking professional training, organizing cultural events, and undergoing self-employment workshops. According to this approach, local citizens should choose and implement a good deed from a municipal catalogue, which will be recorded and scored; based on the score, each citizen will receive a reward from a parallel catalogue of “municipal benefits.” Rewards may include free public transportation and bicycle rental, tickets to events, and reduced municipal housing.

Zusammenhalt, Solidarität und ein Gefühl von Zugehörigkeit sind Grundpfeiler des menschlichen Miteinanders und einer funktionierenden Demokratie. Sie sind von enormer Bedeutung für das individuelle Wohlbefinden sowie für Kultur, Sport und viele andere Bereiche. Daher ist es entscheidend zu verstehen, wie gesellschaftlicher Zusammenhalt identifiziert und gemessen werden kann, was ihn fördert und was gegen Polarisierung und Ausgrenzung hilft. Dieses Projekt untersucht den gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt aus der Perspektive junger Menschen – also jener, die am Übergang von der Schule ins Berufsleben stehen und die Zukunft gestalten werden. Wie bewerten sie den gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt? Was verstehen sie darunter?