German Civic Integration Policies in Comparative Perspective

This paper examines the adoption of civic integration policies and mandatory membership requirements – including language proficiency, country knowledge, and a commitment to liberal values – for citizenship and permanent residence in Western Europe. Following a general overview of integration requirements, it presents a paired comparison of Germany and the UK. Both states participate in the ‘civic turn’ by adopting mandatory integration requirements but, as the case studies illustrate, do so for different reasons and under different conditions. I attribute this divergence to citizenship policy context, contrasting political configurations (namely ideological orientation of government), and institutional context.  In aggregate, these differences produce divergent membership policy strategies that ultimately preserve nation-state differences, whereby the UK remains comparatively inclusive and Germany comparatively exclusive, despite significant reforms to citizenship in the opposite, liberalising direction. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE