Narratives of Civic Duty: How National Stories Shape Democracy in Asia by Aram Hur (review)

If there is a contest to name the modern ideologies that constitute strong, vibrant, and durable democratic societies, nationalism might not be a strong contender. Theoretically, nationalism appears antithetical to democracy, as it prioritizes national unity over individual rights. Far-right politicians and impassioned nationals have attributed the endangerment of "their" jobs and safety to immigrants and refugees. This heightened hostility, not only toward migrants but also toward foreign countries, has resulted in international conflicts. Nationalism has illiberal aspects, and disregarding them is not what Aram Hur's book Narratives of Civic Duty seeks to achieve (see p. 9). Rather, this book calls for a more balanced view on nationalism by arguing that "the moral pull of the nation can help democracies" (p. ix). This assertion is firmly grounded in an extensive theory review, comparative case studies of South Korea with Taiwan and Germany, and a cross-national analysis of twenty-seven democracies.

Civic duty, the concept unpacked in Part I, is the key to identifying the complementary, not contradictory, relationship between nationalist sentiments and democracy. This concept refers to "the sense of obligation to be a good citizen, even when it is costly to do so" (p. 4). Being a good citizen entails activities such as voting, paying taxes, and serving the military, all of which require citizens to contribute personal resources for greater public goods. Through a review of classical and contemporary works, Hur persuasively shows that making citizens fulfill their civic duties has always been a central concern for scholars of democracy. This task has recently drawn more attention as formal institutions, such as elections and parliamentary parties, do not seem enough to keep democratic governance functional.

Hur critically evaluates prior studies, acknowledging the significance they accord to civic duty but finding fault in their tendency to attribute its sources to beliefs in democracy or government fairness. Alternatively, Hur suggests that nationalist sentiment, epitomized by individuals' sense of obligation to "my" country, works as a stronger driver of engaged democratic citizenship. This allegiance takes form through "national stories," which are about how people understand "the historicized link between the national people and the state" (p. 8). The theoretical hypothesis developed here is clear: citizens are more inclined to fulfill their civic duty to sustain democracy if they perceive that their government represents the nation to which they belong.

Parts II and III offer diverse empirical analyses to support the hypothesis. Chapter 3 compares essays written by young overseas Koreans volunteering for military service and in-depth interviews with Taiwanese potential military recruits at two colleges. The findings reveal that most Korean youth felt obligated to serve in the military as they identified themselves as "real" Koreans. In Taiwan, this moralistic perception of military service was evident predominantly among Chinese nationalists, as they saw the Taiwanese state as legitimately reflecting the Chinese nation, given its initiation and long governance by the Kuomintang. Conversely, other Taiwanese youth adopted critical stances against military service, asserting that the Taiwanese state did not necessarily represent "their" Taiwan, the nation that they perceived as politically or economically independent from China. In later chapter, strong field experiments and statistical analyses of nationally representative surveys show that this difference also exists between South Koreans and Taiwanese (Ch. 4 and 5), between Germans who used to live in West Germany and East Germany (Ch. 6), and between people who live in countries where the connection between nation and state is seen as strong and those where it is not (Ch. 7).

As Hur noted, this book is not the first attempt to acknowledge positive aspects of nationalism (see p. 20). However, this work is a rare contribution that explicitly presents the possible synergy between nationalism and democracy, a point other similar studies seem reluctant to make. This framing is particularly persuasive as the book highlights civic duty, a condition of democracy that nationalism, and nothing else, may enrich...