Slovenian Public Opinion 2003/4

The role of a citizen can be explored from at least two aspects. We can study it from a legal point of view or from a political cultural perspective. This survey on understanding the role of the citizen seeks to address the second approach. It shall focus on the citizen’s civic and political identity and social and political participation. The research includes a classic division into vertical and horizontal images of democracy. The vertical aspect includes the relationship between the citizen and the political system, while the horizontal includes the relationship between citizens themselves. The study shall include at least four decisive dimensions. The first is the citizen’s appreciation of political and democratic institutions and civic power. The second dimension addresses the citizen’s perception of the concepts of ‘good citizen’ and ‘good democracy’. The third dimension stems from the horizontal dimension and addresses social trust and social capital. The fourth dimension deals with the citizen’s social and political participation.