Parteien, Demokratie und Staatsbürgerschaft

Political participation is essential for the democratic linkage between society and the institutions of the state. Otherwise, democratic legitimacy is in danger. In Germany, political participation is tightly connected to (German) citizenship, while aliens enjoy only limited political rights. This poses increasing problems in an age of substantial immigration which results in the disenfranchisement of a sizeable portion of the resident population of the country. Clearly, this is beginning to undermine the legitimacy of the democratic order. The contributions to this volume shed new light on the intricate connection between political parties, democracy and citizenship from the perspectives of political science and law.