The task of defining citizenship is a difficult task that requires much thought and careful examination to make sense of what constitutes the ideals of citizenship. Previously, I had never given much thought to what citizenship was and what it meant to me. My first impression was that citizenship was linked to politics and the practice of the rule of law. From what I learned in class, I can confidently say that my view of citizenship has changed for the better to include a broader vision than just the politically involved law-abiding citizen. Citizenship is, at a minimum, the individual practice of civic engagement in forms of political participation, criticizing government, instituting change through a democratic process while respecting the rule of law, contributing to society as an economically efficient/skilled worker, building the local/national community through means of financial donation and/or active participation, being environmentally conscious and recognizing the precious cost of freedom while exercising civic engagement with a global vision that incorporates the voice of young people. Political involvement is not always seen as attractive to the community, especially to those individuals who feel betrayed by politicians and the government they have elected. The first step to understanding citizenship is to define the concept of social contract. The social contract is an agreement shared by both the government and the people in which both parties operate and institute change by adhering to the rules and regulations stipulated within the contract itself. The first step towards citizenship should be to vote because by not voting for state and national representatives, the individual is... at the center of the card... Wealth of Nations. . Selections from Book Four Chapter II and Chapter IX.Wagner, W. & Owen. JE (in press). Situating service-learning in the contexts of civic engagement and the engaged campus. In B. Jacoby (Ed.), Establishing and sustaining the community service learning professional: A guide to self-directed learning. Providence, RI: Campus Compact.West, C. (2004). The necessary engagement with youth culture. In matters of democracy: winning the fight against imperialism. New York: Penguin.Rousseau, J. J. (1762). The Social Contract: Book I. 1. Object of the First Book, 2. The first societies, 3. The right of the strongest, 4. Slavery, 5. That we must always return to a first convention, 6. The social pact, 7. The Sovereign, 8. The civil status and 9. Real estate.