Alexander Graser's new book Gemeinschaften ohne Grenzen? offers interesting insights into citizenship and the disintegration of political communities
The legal contents of citizenship are undergoing significant changes which might in turn have a disintegrative effect on society and reduce the potential of the law to legitimise power. This is the claim of the book. It is presented in three steps. The first one deals with the concepts of (multilevel) citizenship, (political) community, and integration, thus synthesising the social theory background of the study. The second part is a legal analysis of the rights and duties which are associated with citizenship on the national and other political levels. It detects a tendency towards “de-concentration”: National citizenship previously contained most of these rights and duties, but is gradually losing its contents. At the same time, there is no “re-concentration” of these contents in the membership status of any other political community. The final part of the book illustrates how this development might lead to a disintegration of society and a delegitimisation of (public) power.
GRASER, ALEXANDER: Gemeinschaften ohne Grenzen?
Zur Dekonzentration der rechtlichen Zugehörigkeiten zu politischen Gemeinschaften
2009. XVIII, 387 pages. JusPubl 178
published February 2009 by Mohr Siebeck
ISBN 978-3-16-149453-6
Linen € 99.00
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Mariana Florio, Associate Recruitment & Admissions