German Nationality

Given that citizenship laws in Germany have
historically been
discriminatory, the 1999 law could have been an
opportunity for real
reform. Instead, mired in the populist politics of
conservative forces
playing on ethno-cultural fears, the 1999 Citizenship
law deepened
the discriminatory nature of citizenship by
institutionalizing
stratification based on nationality. Instead of
fostering a culture of
civic virtue wherein citizens are encouraged to
participate by the
nature of being included as citizens, the new law
created an obstacle
course wherein the prize became the legal status of
citizen. This
demonstrates injustice in so far as that these
hurdles do not apply to
other Europeans. In Germany, because its largest
ethnic minority
population is made up of third-country nationals,
citizenship
stratification is all the more evident. This book is
an analysis of the
most recent citizenship law in Germany embedded in
the context of
the construction and development of such laws.
Analyzing German
citizenship laws allows us as political scientists to
study the salient
social, legal and political impact that citizenship has.

Autorentext

Sarah currently lives in Virginia where she grew up. Shereceived her Bachelor's and Master's Degree from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Her mother isGerman and thus Sarah's interest in German citizenship in particular comes fromher familial ties. Sarah plans to continue her research in European comparative politics.

Klappentext

Given that citizenship laws in Germany havehistorically been discriminatory, the 1999 law could have been anopportunity for real reform. Instead, mired in the populist politics ofconservative forces playing on ethno-cultural fears, the 1999 Citizenshiplaw deepened the discriminatory nature of citizenship byinstitutionalizing stratification based on nationality. Instead offostering a culture of civic virtue wherein citizens are encouraged toparticipate by the nature of being included as citizens, the new lawcreated an obstacle course wherein the prize became the legal status ofcitizen. This demonstrates injustice in so far as that thesehurdles do not apply to other Europeans. In Germany, because its largestethnic minority population is made up of third-country nationals,citizenship stratification is all the more evident. This book isan analysis of the most recent citizenship law in Germany embedded inthe context of the construction and development of such laws.Analyzing German citizenship laws allows us as political scientists tostudy the salient social, legal and political impact that citizenship has.