A human subject or agent with legally prescribed rights and responsibilities. Citizenship status is granted by states and nations, it is a political privilege rather than a right. Citizenship is conferred in different ways---most often, it is by virtue of birthright, i.e. if you are born in a particular country, then you have the right to citizenship in that country. But in an era of increased immigration, this right is steadily being withdrawn, particularly in Europe. Citizenship carries with it the obligation to behave in certain ways, to respect the laws of the land, and to perform such duties as are asked; failure to do so can result in citizenship being withdrawn. This obligation is usually thought of as mutual in that by virtue of your being a citizen the state is required to treat you in a certain way, but as the work of Agamben, Giorgio, among others, has shown, the state retains the right to make exceptions, and thereby negate the very rights it is supposed to guarantee. Further Reading: R. Bellamy Citizenship: A Very Short Introduction (2008).