The claim that I would like to advance and explore is that states claiming to be committed to liberal democracy ought to regard as full members of their organized political community, all those who reside in their territory on a permanent basis, being subject to the decisions collectively adopted there and being dependent on its protection and recognition for the full development of their personalities. Full inclusion in this sense implies their incorporation into the realm of civic equality that unites the citizenry in an equal status of rights and duties, including also a right to be allocated a share in the common public space (the right to remain indefinitely in the territory) and a right to political action (political rights and freedoms). These are rights from which permanent resident aliens have been, at least to some extent, generally excluded.

Moreover, to the extent that being a national citizen is required as a condition for inclusion in the realm of civic equality the claim is that, after a certain residence period, permanent residents ought to be automatically and unconditionally recognized as citizens of the state.