Minimalist identity in the Australian Republican Movement

What is it about?

The Australian Republican Movement (ARM) failed to be a valid alternative to the monarchy because of its minimalist concept of citizenship and national identity. This also influenced the outcome of the 1999 republican referendum.

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Why is it important?

The article explores an important issue - the idea of citizenship and its role in re-framing identity. The article argues republican movement in Australia presented an opportunity to advance a new legal conception of citizenship and resolve historical ambiguity in the understanding of Australian citizenship. The legal proposition of the Australian Republican Movement replicated the same pattern found in the constitutional monarchic system in which there was a big gap between the legal and normative understanding of Australian citizenship.