Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Against the status-quo, this article argues for the right to renounce state citizenship while remaining a resident. To motivate this argument, it presents a dilemma: if long-term residents can choose not to naturalize, why cannot citizens renounce their status without leaving?. The article rejects one way out of this dilemma-making citizenship mandatory for long-term residents-and proceeds in making the positive case for the right to renounce citizenship. It argues for the value of citizenship renunciation as an expressive political act, distinct from territorial exit, which allows individuals to sever political ties while maintaining social membership. This form of political exit enables citizens to express their detachment from the state without the costs of emigration. The article explores the implications of this proposal for democratic consent, legitimate authority, and collective citizen responsibility for state action, arguing that a right to renounce without emigration enhances autonomy and democratic legitimacy.
Author: LIOR EREZ
Institution: University of Oxford
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,550
Funder: University of Oxford
OpenAlex ID: W4415022646