NATIONAL

SERVICE
TRAINING
PROGRAM
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Learner’s Guide
Module 2: Citizenship and Citizen Participation
Shim Lester G. de Pio, DPA (Candidate)

Overview

This module introduces students to the concepts of citizenship and citizen

participation. The vital role of the citizens in nation-building and the importance of their
participation in the affairs of the government are given emphases. Examples of citizen
participation in the country are presented at the end of the module.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, the students must have:

• Explained the concepts of citizenship and citizen participation;

• Argued on the vital role of citizens in nation-building and the importance
of citizen participation in governance;
• Evaluated and classified themselves to the kind of political culture they
believe they belong; and
• Proposed a possible citizen participation project, activity, or creative work
for the next NSTP course.

Introduction

The role of the citizens is critical in governance. They are rights bearers in a
democracy and at the same time duty bearers bound to perform certain obligations.
They define and clarify what public interest is and so must have a greater participation
in the affairs of the government.

Meaning of Citizenship and Citizen

Citizenship is:

• …membership in a political community, with full civil and political

privileges. Persons possessing this membership are called citizens (Aruego
& Torres, 1981)

• …a term denoting membership of a citizen in a political society, which

membership implies, reciprocally, a duty of allegiance on the part of the
member and duty of protection on the part of the State (De Leon, 2008)
 A citizen is:

• …a person having the title of citizenship. A member of a democratic

community who enjoys full civil and political rights, and is accorded
protection inside and outside the territory of the state (De Leon, 2008)

The quality of the nation depends on the quality of its citizens. The country
needs not only citizens, but active citizenry.

Types of Political Culture (Citizens)

Almond and Verba (1965) constructed three ideal-typical political cultures on the
basis of citizens’ political orientation and object, these are:

• Parochial political culture – citizens have low cognitive, affective, and

evaluative orientations towards four type of political objects. In this
simpler traditional societies, there are no specialized political roles and
little expectation for political change. The individual thinks of his family’s
advantage as the only goal to pursue, or conceives his role in the political
system in familistic terms

• Subject political culture – citizens have high cognitive, affective and

evaluative orientation towards the political system and policy outputs,
but orientations towards input objects and the self as active participants
are minimal. Orientation towards the system and its outputs is channeled
via a relatively detached, passive relationship on the part of the citizens.
Subject cultures are most compatible with centralized, authoritarian
political structures. For the subject “the law is something he obeys, not
something he helps shape”

• Participant political culture – citizens have high cognitive, affective, and

evaluative orientation to the political system, in the input objects, policy
outputs, and recognize the self as active participants in the polity. Social
actors tend to be activist and mobilized. Participant cultures are most
compatible with democratic political structures. The citizen is expected to
have the virtues of the subject – to obey the law and to be loyal – but he
is also expected to take some part in the formation of decisions

In which of these three political cultures do you think you belong?

******

Activity 1: What type of citizen I am?

Q: In what type of political culture, described by

Almond and Verba, do you think you
belong with and why?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

******

Rights and Obligations of Citizens

The rights of the citizens are enumerated in Article III (Bill of Rights) of the 1987
Philippine Constitution. The government is duty bound to respect, promote and realize
these rights.

For every right there must be a corresponding duty. To reciprocate government’s

protection of rights, the citizens are expected to perform important duties and
obligations, to name a few:

• To be loyal to the Republic

• To defend the State
• To contribute to the development and welfare of the State
• To uphold the constitution and obey the laws
• To cooperate with duly constituted authorities
• To exercise rights responsibly and with due regard for the rights of others
• To engage in gainful work
• To register and vote (De Leon, 2008)

Perhaps, the best way for citizens to express their rights and obligations is to
engage themselves directly in the affairs of the state, that is, citizen participation.
What is Citizen Participation?

Participation

Civism and
Civic
Citizen
Engagement
Activation

These terms may involve explicit

Collaborative
Governance
Participatory
Governance
and implicit conceptual nuances,
Citizen but bereft of their complex
Participation
ramifications, they convey, more
or less, the same meaning
Peoples’ Citizen (Reyes, 2011).
Participation Engagement

Public Active
Participation Citizenship

Citizen participation is:

• …a categorical term for citizen power… redistribution of power that

enables the have-not citizens, presently excluded from the political and
economic processes, to be deliberately included…strategy by which the
have-nots join in determining how much information is shared, goals and
policies are set… means by which they can induce significant social reform
which enables them to share the benefits of the affluent society (Arnstein,
1969)

• …process… that establishes the opportunity for private individuals to

influence public decisions, and which allows a deepening involvement by
populace in expressing their needs, demands and wants, and have these
transformed into tangible outputs and outcomes (Carino, 2005; also cited
in Reyes, 2011)

• …the involvement of persons not holding government office in the

planning, management and evaluation of public affairs (Carino, 2005a;
also cited in Reyes, 2011)

• …the processes by which public concerns, needs, and values are

incorporated into decision-making (Nabatchi, 2012)
Importance of Citizen Participation

• UN Conference on Sustainable Development

• stressed effective governance at local, national and global levels as
representing the voices and interests of all
• resolved to enhance participation and effective engagement of civil
society (Armstrong, 2013)

• Arguments for increased citizen participation based on normative ideals:

• Participation is intrinsically good, and it is the right thing to do
regardless of other outcomes
• It is an important part of democracy- it fosters legitimacy,
transparency, accountability and other democratic values
• Citizens should have a say in decisions that affect their lives, and
when done well, citizens actually like to participate
• Administrative agencies make numerous decisions that affect the
public, the citizens need to have a voice in those decisions (Nabatchi,
2012)

• Arguments based on the pragmatic benefits of participation:

• Participation creates and fosters better citizens because it promotes
education about government and policy and improves basic civic
skills and dispositions
• It helps build healthy communities because it raises awareness about
problems, develops the motivation, leadership, and capacity to
address those problems, and builds social capital
• It creates better policy decisions and improves governance because
it generates more information, build consensus, and increases buy-in
support of decisions (Nabatchi, 2012)

Citizenship embraces aspects of empowerment, and vice versa. Participation is

integral in both concepts. Citizenship and empowerment include the ideas of belonging
and rights essential for participation in social and political environments. The exercise of
full citizenship leads to personal empowerment. The experience of participation
reinforces or strengthens personal empowerment (Higgins, 1999; also cited in Domingo,
2015).

Goals, Promises and Techniques of Citizen Participation

The Spectrum of Public Participation was developed by the International

Association for Public Participation (IAP2) to help clarify the role of the public (or
community) in planning and decision-making, and how much influence the community
has over planning or decision-making processes. It identifies five levels of public
participation or community engagement.

Examples of Citizen Participation in the Philippines

Magno (2008) presented a number of citizen participation activities, projects or

programs established in the country. These initiatives encourage greater citizen
participation in governance.
******

Activity 2: Proposed Citizen Participation

Project/Activity/Creative Work

Instructions:
Having been acquainted with the different established citizen
participation initiatives in the country, start conceptualizing a
citizen participation project/activity/creative work proposal
for implementation come NSTP 102. Proposals will be evaluated
before the end of the semester.

Suggested Format: Title

Stakeholders
Objectives
Budgetary Requirements
Target Outputs and Outcomes
(Students may conceptualize their own design/template for their proposal)

******

Conclusion

• The demand for substantive, authentic and encompassing citizen

involvement in the shaping of policy and in the management of public
affairs will remain to assume a prominent place in the agenda of reform of
government today and in the future (Reyes, 2011)

• Citizens and their participation in public affairs will instill greater

accountability in the government and will bring about a stronger
democracy (Reyes, 2011)

References

Almond, G. A., & Verba, S. (1965). The civic culture: Political attitudes and
democracy in five nations. Canada: Little, Brown and Company, Inc.

Armstrong, E. (2013, September). The role of active participation and citizen

engagement in good governance. Paper presented at UN Public Administration
Programme, New York, USA.

Arnstein, S. R. (1969). A ladder of citizen participation. Journal of American Institute of

 Planners, 35 (4), 216-224.

Aruego, J. M., & Torres, G. A. (1981). Principles of political science. Manila: University
Book Supply.

De Leon, H. S. (2008). Textbook on the Philippine constitution. Manila: Rex.

Domingo, M. O. Z. (2015). Reforming the bureaucracy: Can citizens participate? In D.

R. Reyes, P. D. Tapales, M. O. Z. Domingo, & M. F. V. Mendoza (Eds.),
Introduction to public administration in the Philippines: A reader (3rd ed., pp. 295
– 307). Quezon City: National College of Public Administration and Governance,
University of the Philippines Diliman.

Higgins, J. W. (1999). Citizenship and empowerment: A remedy for citizen participation

in health reform. Community Development Journal, 34 (4), 287-307).

Magno, F. A. (2008, October). Developments in public administration in the Philippines.

Paper presented at New Public Management: Lean State, Lean Government
Seminar, Naga City, Camarines Sur, Philippines.

Nabatchi, T. (2012). A manager’s guide to evaluating citizen participation. USA: IBM

Center for the Business of Government.

Reyes, D. R. (2011). Public policy and the imperatives of good governance: Towards
institutionalizing active citizen participation. International Journal of Policy
Studies, 2 (1), 3-15.