Civic nationalism
Topic: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 6 "Displacing Indigenous Peoples"
Meaning
Civic nationalism is a type of nationalism where the nation is made up of all its citizens. A person belongs because they are a citizen, not because of their language, race, religion or gender. Power (sovereignty) belongs to all the people together, and they share equal rights and common political values. The idea grew strongly from the French Revolution of 1789 and still shapes many modern democracies.
Example
In 1789, the French revolutionaries passed power from the king to the body of citizens. They spread the ideas of la patrie (the fatherland) and le citoyen (the citizen) and made the same laws apply to everyone. In this way they tried to build one nation of equal citizens.
Don't confuse with
- Ethnic nationalism: it defines the nation by shared descent, language, religion or culture, so some people are left out. Civic nationalism includes every citizen.