An Integrative Approach to Civic Identity

While civic identity has long been a subject of scholarly discourse, its operationalization in studies and its theorized development often remain vague. Nevertheless, civic identity is a major factor for explaining the support for liberal democracy. This article introduces an integrative model of civic identity (IMOCI). By synthesizing insights from personal and social identity theories, and identity as a complex dynamic system, we pose three testable propositions to sharpen the concept of civic identity – highlighting the role of developmental processes and content. The propositions are: (1) civic identity development is dynamic, (2) long-term development is rooted in short-term processes and accelerated by conscious or intentional processes, and (3) civic identity encompasses subjective personal and social contents. We conclude the article with discussing methodological elements that can be implemented in empirical studies to test the model’s propositions.