The Fantasy of ‘Global Citizenship’

The idea suggests an allegiance to a borderless collective that offers students the illusion of moral superiority while absolving them of the hard work of civic engagement in their own backyard.

Photo from The Global Citizens Festival, New York City, 2024

The modern educational obsession with developing students into “global citizens” or “global citizen scholars” is not just misguided; it is fundamentally detrimental to the concept of civic responsibility. The phrase itself is a contradiction in terms: there is no such thing as “global citizenship.” Citizenship is inherently tied to a specific nation, a defined polity with its own laws, rights, and responsibilities. Yet, many high schools and colleges today are abandoning this basic reality in favor of an illusory ideal that serves to detach young Americans from their actual duties to their communities and country.

Consider this quote from the World Economic Forum:

First, let’s set the stage: the world is becoming more global and interconnected every day. From multinational corporations to climate change to social and political movements, humanity’s fate is increasingly intertwined.

Moreover, we are in the early stages of an historic shift of identity — increasingly less tied to any particular location — which will have far-reaching implications for business, government and society alike.

Against this backdrop, debates about globalization are taking place at an unprecedented level. And yet, we seem to have almost forgotten about the role of global citizenship. It is imperative that we turn these tides.

To be a citizen is to belong to a particular political body, to have a legal and moral relationship with a nation that provides rights and demands responsibilities. The idea of “global citizenship” suggests an allegiance to a vague, borderless collective in which no one has any real obligations to his own country, state, or town. It is a hollow, utopian concept that offers students the illusion of moral superiority while absolving them of the hard work of civic engagement in their own backyard.

Despite the feel-good rhetoric, there is no global governing body—thank God—that grants citizenship, enforces laws, or guarantees rights. There is no global constitution, no global jury duty, no global voting rights. What, then, does it mean to be a “global citizen”? At best, it is a marketing term used by universities to signal a commitment to cosmopolitan ideals; at worst, it is a deliberate attempt to erode national identity and the responsibilities that come with it.

Today the forces of modern information, communications, and transportation technologies are helping people develop global identity. In increasing ways these technologies are strengthening our ability to connect to the rest of the world; for example through the Internet; through strengthening our ability to participate in the global economic marketplace; through the ways in which we now see the world-wide impact of atmospheric change on our environment; and through the empathy we feel when we see pictures of humanitarian disasters in other countries. — from The Global Citizens Initiative

This fixation on “global citizenship” is not merely an academic abstraction; it has real consequences. It shifts students’ focus away from their immediate communities and the nation to which they actually belong. Instead of being taught to serve their local towns, uphold the principles of their state, or contribute meaningfully to American society, students are encouraged to think of themselves as problem-solvers for distant lands they barely understand.

Consider the energy spent in American classrooms on initiatives like “solving global hunger” or ‘addressing climate change’—complex problems that are largely out of the hands of teenagers sitting in a high school or college classroom in Ohio or Texas. Meanwhile, these same students often remain ignorant of the issues plaguing their own communities: failing local infrastructure, declining civic engagement, crime, racial strife, and economic hardship. They are taught to care about a village in Africa before they even understand the needs of their own neighborhoods.

The following are some examples of programs marketing “global citizenship” from through the state of Ohio:

“Because of our individualized approach to advising and honors experiences, our students graduate among the most competitive professionals in the world. To that end, we are invested in developing students into global citizen scholars who lead innovative efforts toward solving the world's complex problems.” — University of Cincinnati Honors Program

“The Ignatian Global Scholars program creates opportunities for students to engage in ongoing academic and cocurricular experiences that form global citizens for and with others. Earning the IGS distinction demonstrates the student’s academic achievement and a deep commitment to giving greater glory to God by taking action toward a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world.” — St. Xavier High School, Cincinnati

The Global Scholars Diploma is a three-year program that develops globally competent High School students by building the awareness and skills needed to take action on a global issue and to become responsible citizens of the world. — Global Scholars Diploma, Columbus-area school districts.

Global Citizens are those who continuously seek to deepen their awareness of their place and responsibility in an increasingly interconnected world, both locally and globally; those who stand in solidarity with others in the pursuit of a sustainable earth and a more humane world as true companions in the mission of reconciliation and justice. — St. Ignatius High School, Cleveland

This misplacement of priorities creates disengaged citizens. When young Americans are conditioned to think in abstract, global terms, they become disconnected from the concrete realities of their own society. They do not develop the virtues required for meaningful civic life—duties such as voting, serving on juries, running for local office, and participating in their communities. In many cases, they even come to view their own country with suspicion, seeing it not as a home worth preserving but as a villain in some imagined global struggle.

What American education needs is not more “global citizens” but committed “localists”—students (people!) who understand their obligations to their family, town, state, and country. Civic virtue must be an essential part of the foundation of education, emphasizing the responsibilities of citizenship in a real, tangible community. Schools should be teaching students about the Constitution, American history, local governance, and the ethical duties of self-government. They should be encouraged to participate in local politics, volunteer for civic projects, and contribute to the economic and cultural vitality of their home.

This is not a call for isolationism but for realism. A student who is well-grounded in the principles of American citizenship will be far better equipped to make meaningful contributions to the world than one who has been taught to think of himself as a “citizen of nowhere.” The best way to make a difference globally is to build strong, virtuous communities locally. A nation filled with citizens who take their responsibilities seriously is far more capable of engaging with the world effectively than one that has abandoned its own foundations.

The obsession with “solving global problems” has not only distracted students from their real obligations, but it has actually created more problems than it has solved. American interventionism, fueled by the same utopian thinking that animates globalist education, has led to disastrous foreign policies that destabilize entire regions. Billions of dollars are sent abroad in aid, often to corrupt governments, while American communities suffer from crumbling schools, decaying infrastructure, and rising crime. Globalist ideology encourages young Americans to believe they can fix the world, but in reality, it often leaves their own country neglected.

Instead of churning out students who fancy themselves as the next generation of international bureaucrats, we should be forming young men and women who recognize the value of their own communities. America needs citizens who are loyal to their country, dedicated to their local institutions, and willing to take responsibility for their surroundings. Yes, I know this is controversial. But the fact that it is controversial is absurd.

It is time for American schools to abandon the false idol of “global citizenship” and “global scholarship” and return to their educating citizens who understand their rights and duties within their own country. A strong nation is built from the ground up, not by scattering the attention of its young people across the globe but by instilling in them a deep commitment to their own communities. If we want a better world, we must start by strengthening the places where we actually live. That begins with rejecting the myth of the “global citizen scholar” and embracing the timeless truth that real citizenship starts at home.

Michael S. Rose, a leader in the classical education movement, is author of The Art of Being Human (Angelico), Ugly As Sin and other books. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications including The Wall Street Journal, Epoch Times, New York Newsday, National Review, and The Dallas Morning News.