Citizenship as Foundation of Rights

Richard Sobel is a political scientist, and author and editor of eight books and numerous scholarly, law and policy articles. He graduated from Princeton University, New Jersey and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has taught at Princeton University, Smith College, Massachusetts, the University of Connecticut, Harvard University, Massachusetts and Northwestern University, Illinois. At Harvard, he has also been a Research Associate of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute, fellow of the Hutchins Center, Shorenstein Center, and Berkman Center, and member of the Program in Psychiatry and Law. He is Visiting Scholar at the Buffett Institute, Northwestern University, and director of Cyber Privacy Project. He has contributed to Supreme Court amicus briefs on voting rights and identification.

• 1. Introduction. Empowering citizenship; 2. The nature of American citizenship as the foundation of rights; 3. The right to vote; 4. The right to employment; 5. The right to travel; 6. Threats to citizenship rights in identification regime; 7. Other countries' systems constitute warnings; 8. Conclusions. Sustaining empowering citizenship.

'I followed the stages of this book when it was in process and when it was completed for publication. At each time I saw it's importance. I was pleased to recognize that in the Foreword to the book. Now it is in hand. And current American politics make it an even more significant book for an understanding of the United States as a political and social system. The nature of Citizenship - its centrality in elections and in politics and society more generally - make it a crucial feature of American Democracy and the challenge it faces.' Sid Verba, Carl H. Pforzheimer University Professor, Harvard University