Social Citizenship in Practice

Abstract This chapter focuses on local governance to examine how municipalities mediate the implementation of federal welfare and mobility rights. Drawing on case studies from 19th-century and early 20th-century Germany, the US, and the EU, it reveals how local discretion translates formal entitlements into vastly different experiences in practice. Cities like Bremen, New York, and Dortmund adopted inclusive strategies, framing internal migration as economically beneficial and expanding welfare provision. Others—such as Leipzig, Los Angeles, and Offenbach—chose exclusionary approaches, curtailing access and employing deterrence measures. The analysis demonstrates how local politics and economic imperatives can either reinforce or undermine the broader promise of social citizenship.