The Developmental Value of Dual CitizenshipThe Developmental Value of Dual Citizenship

Anna Ohanyan, Ph. D.Anna Ohanyan, Ph. D.Political Science DepartmentPolitical Science Department

Stonehill CollegeStonehill CollegeEaston, Massachusetts, United StatesEaston, Massachusetts, United States

aohanyan@stonehill.eduaohanyan@stonehill.edu

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Key Arguments Key Arguments

State-society relations are at the core of citizenship debatesState-society relations are at the core of citizenship debates The DC arrangements affect the Armenian state-society The DC arrangements affect the Armenian state-society

relationshipsrelationships• DC arrangements contain the tools and institutions which are bound to DC arrangements contain the tools and institutions which are bound to

change the institutional development of Armenian statehood and its change the institutional development of Armenian statehood and its relationship to the society relationship to the society

The visions of Armenian state should be driving discussions The visions of Armenian state should be driving discussions on dual citizenship on dual citizenship

Dual citizenship is not given: the design, management and Dual citizenship is not given: the design, management and administration of DC law will harness its developmental value administration of DC law will harness its developmental value

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The Communist and the Consumer The Communist and the Consumer

Citizenship as a bundle of rights and responsibilitiesCitizenship as a bundle of rights and responsibilities

The variance of citizenship models and types of statehoodThe variance of citizenship models and types of statehood• Where is Armenia headed in terms of its statehood?Where is Armenia headed in terms of its statehood?

The variance in state-society relationships (Marshall’s model)The variance in state-society relationships (Marshall’s model)• Civil rights: legal status and the protection of the citizens before the lawCivil rights: legal status and the protection of the citizens before the law

The citizen: will not act unless the civic liberties are threatened The citizen: will not act unless the civic liberties are threatened

• Political rights: political participation and suffrage Political rights: political participation and suffrage The citizen: proactive and expectant of political participation The citizen: proactive and expectant of political participation

• Social rights: the guarantee of standards of living, including the right of Social rights: the guarantee of standards of living, including the right of employment and health careemployment and health care

The citizen: shielded against the market fluctuations; proactive welfare state The citizen: shielded against the market fluctuations; proactive welfare state

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Citizenship and state-society relationships Citizenship and state-society relationships

Citizenry Passive Active

Priva

te 1. Conservative citizenship

Passive citizenry Uninvolved state

2. Transitional citizenship Active citizenry Uninvolved state

Domi

nant

Sphe

res of

the

Sta

te

Publi

c

3. Patriarchal citizenship Passive citizenry

Involved state

4. Liberalized citizenship Active citizenry Involved state

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CitizenryCitizenry

Dominant Dominant Spheres Spheres of Stateof State

PassivePassive Active Active

PrivatePrivate Conservative Conservative CitizenshipCitizenship

Passive citizenryPassive citizenry Uninvolved stateUninvolved state

Transitional CitizenshipTransitional Citizenship Active citizenryActive citizenry Uninvolved state Uninvolved state

PublicPublic Paternalistic Paternalistic Passive citizenryPassive citizenry Involved stateInvolved state

Liberalized citizenshipLiberalized citizenship Active citizenryActive citizenry Involved state Involved state

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Dual citizenship and the nation-stateDual citizenship and the nation-state

DC breaks/alters the ‘social contract’ between the state and the DC breaks/alters the ‘social contract’ between the state and the societysociety

DC can potentiallyDC can potentially• Generate new claimants on the already limited resources for public Generate new claimants on the already limited resources for public

goods and social policies (challenge to the state)goods and social policies (challenge to the state)• Increase the financial flows to support the very social policy of the Increase the financial flows to support the very social policy of the

post-Communist Armenia (assist the society and the state)post-Communist Armenia (assist the society and the state)• Heighten the public pressure on the state:Heighten the public pressure on the state:

If unmatched by the institutional growth of the state may translate into a If unmatched by the institutional growth of the state may translate into a backlash (challenge the state)backlash (challenge the state)

Increased expectations from the public of the state (challenge the state)Increased expectations from the public of the state (challenge the state) The gap of rising expectations and stagnant state capacities may be The gap of rising expectations and stagnant state capacities may be

problematic (challenge the state)problematic (challenge the state)

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Dual Citizenship Debates Dual Citizenship Debates

The Critics and the doom and gloom arguments The Critics and the doom and gloom arguments • Challenge to the national sovereigntyChallenge to the national sovereignty• Weaken the public loyalty to the state Weaken the public loyalty to the state • Dual citizens can shop for better economic and legal environments Dual citizens can shop for better economic and legal environments

The proponents:The proponents:• The state sovereignty has already been diminished by the globalization The state sovereignty has already been diminished by the globalization

forcesforces• Transnational companies already rival the states for the public loyalty Transnational companies already rival the states for the public loyalty • Employment generation by transnational companies has already shifted Employment generation by transnational companies has already shifted

the locus of power from the state to the private sector the locus of power from the state to the private sector • National citizens have been transformed to corporate subjectsNational citizens have been transformed to corporate subjects• National citizenship has been diluted by neo-liberal policies National citizenship has been diluted by neo-liberal policies

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Ironically, dual citizenship is a Ironically, dual citizenship is a function of global forces, but can function of global forces, but can

also be made irrelevant by the also be made irrelevant by the same forces.same forces.

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International Considerations International Considerations DC as a source of investments DC as a source of investments DC as a vehicle of political representation abroad DC as a vehicle of political representation abroad DC as a vehicle to strengthen the nation-state in DC as a vehicle to strengthen the nation-state in

global economics and politics global economics and politics DC can facilitate the rise of the “trans-nation-state”DC can facilitate the rise of the “trans-nation-state”

• Administratively more agileAdministratively more agile• FlexibleFlexible• EntrepreneurialEntrepreneurial• Highly globalHighly global

DC, the global economy and the ‘market citizenship’DC, the global economy and the ‘market citizenship’• States competing for citizens with other states as well as States competing for citizens with other states as well as

corporations and other non-state actors corporations and other non-state actors Diminishing depth of state citizenship Diminishing depth of state citizenship increasing increasing

breadth of transnational citizenship breadth of transnational citizenship

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Domestic ConsiderationsDomestic Considerations

DC and the retrenchment of the welfare stateDC and the retrenchment of the welfare state• Weakening social dimension of Armenian statehoodWeakening social dimension of Armenian statehood• Social rights expand the boundaries of citizenship from those who own Social rights expand the boundaries of citizenship from those who own

property to those who pay taxes from their earnings (Antonin Wagner, property to those who pay taxes from their earnings (Antonin Wagner, 2004)2004)

• Weakening of the welfare state and the greater involvement of non-Weakening of the welfare state and the greater involvement of non-state actors in social provision within the industrialized world state actors in social provision within the industrialized world

• The rise of public-private partnerships within industrialized world The rise of public-private partnerships within industrialized world DC would enable a mobilization of social contributions DC would enable a mobilization of social contributions

through governmental and non-governmental means through governmental and non-governmental means Diaspora organizations as major contributors for social Diaspora organizations as major contributors for social

development in Armenia development in Armenia

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Policy Recommendations: The Developmental Value of Policy Recommendations: The Developmental Value of Duality (DVD) Duality (DVD)

The enhancement of Armenia-Diaspora RelationshipsThe enhancement of Armenia-Diaspora Relationships Strengthening of the Armenian state institutionally, Strengthening of the Armenian state institutionally,

administratively and financially administratively and financially Efficient design and careful management of the appropriate Efficient design and careful management of the appropriate

institutions is a prerequisite for the DVD to be realized institutions is a prerequisite for the DVD to be realized The efficient management of Dual Citizenship will fail to The efficient management of Dual Citizenship will fail to

escape the civil society route escape the civil society route

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Policy Recommendations: The Developmental Value of Policy Recommendations: The Developmental Value of Duality (DVD)Duality (DVD)

The liberalization of Armenia’ citizenship rights will entail a transition The liberalization of Armenia’ citizenship rights will entail a transition from conservative (passive/private) to liberalized (active/public) dual from conservative (passive/private) to liberalized (active/public) dual citizenship policies.citizenship policies.

It will address the following three dimensions:It will address the following three dimensions:• Civil society within ArmeniaCivil society within Armenia• Civil society within DiasporaCivil society within Diaspora• Armenian public sectorArmenian public sector

Liberalization of citizenship will activate the dormant civil societyLiberalization of citizenship will activate the dormant civil society Liberalization of citizenship will generate more demands for an Liberalization of citizenship will generate more demands for an

institutional and administrative evolution of Armenian stateinstitutional and administrative evolution of Armenian state Will strengthen the global dimension of Armenian statehoodWill strengthen the global dimension of Armenian statehood Armenia as a “trans-nation-state”Armenia as a “trans-nation-state”

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The Institutional Mechanisms for Liberalizing and The Institutional Mechanisms for Liberalizing and Realizing the DVD (incentive structures)Realizing the DVD (incentive structures)

Network developmentNetwork development• Horizontally, within the civil societyHorizontally, within the civil society• Vertically, between the civil society and the Armenian public sectorVertically, between the civil society and the Armenian public sector• Create incentives for foreign residents to invest in local development in Create incentives for foreign residents to invest in local development in

Armenia, particularly within the rural areasArmenia, particularly within the rural areas

Public-private partnershipsPublic-private partnerships• Create incentive structures for the public sector to work with the private Create incentive structures for the public sector to work with the private

sector and civil society organizations sector and civil society organizations • DC law may enable the state to partner in some of the ongoing social DC law may enable the state to partner in some of the ongoing social

development projects of Diaspora communities development projects of Diaspora communities • State inclusion in these partnerships will enhance the overall impact of such State inclusion in these partnerships will enhance the overall impact of such

partnerships in social developmentpartnerships in social development• Provide tax breaks and allow the acquisition of commercial property for Provide tax breaks and allow the acquisition of commercial property for

foreign residents in rural areas where the reach of the state has been limitedforeign residents in rural areas where the reach of the state has been limited

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The Institutional Mechanisms for Liberalizing The Institutional Mechanisms for Liberalizing and Realizing the DVDand Realizing the DVD

Public administration reform and decentralizationPublic administration reform and decentralization• Create arrangements for the local levels of government to collect taxes Create arrangements for the local levels of government to collect taxes

from foreign investmentsfrom foreign investments

• Give all the residents the right to vote in local electionsGive all the residents the right to vote in local elections

Associational democracy Associational democracy • DC arrangements can facilitate the creation of associations of DC arrangements can facilitate the creation of associations of

Diaspora-based individuals which could give them access to the Diaspora-based individuals which could give them access to the policy-making processes at the local levels of governmentpolicy-making processes at the local levels of government

Provide the institutional structure to realize the developmental Provide the institutional structure to realize the developmental value of dual citizenship arrangementsvalue of dual citizenship arrangements

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