The word citizen itself comes from the Latin word civitas , which in ancient times meant membership in a city. Today we tend to think of people as being citizens of a nation or, in more local terms, citizens within a community. The duties and rights of citizens vary from nation to nation.
Citizens belonging to many of the world's democratic nations have what are termed civil rights .
Most governments expect or demand that citizens perform certain duties, including paying taxes and obeying that nation's laws. In our modern society citizenship is about responsibility and the ability to discuss and resolve differences through democratic and peaceful means. Citizens have duties and responsibilities as well as rights. They need to show respect for rules and laws as well as having a say in changing society in a peaceful and responsible manner. The following linked pages show examples of how citizenship has developed at regional and local level within the county of Hampshire from the Anglo-Saxon period to the present day.