The article focuses on summarizing the rich and diverse discussion devoted to the powerful intellectual tradition of thinking about education and politics together, starting with Plato, Aristotle, Confucius and continuing through Machiavelli, Rousseau, W. von Humboldt, Emerson, Dewey to contemporary times. They all recognized both the meaning of public education, and the need itself to educate the younger members of society, whether for the purpose of reproducing the social order or for the purpose of radically transforming it. Contemporary political philosophy is no exception to this historical pattern. The last few decades have witnessed a revival of interest in the topic of citizenship, and in the particular contribution that different types of educational institutions such as schools and universities can make to secure the enjoyment of civil and politiсal rights. Recent philosophical debates on citizenship and education between the supporters of globalization and neoliberal world order and the resolute opponents of these perspectives are distinctive in that they reflect a number of serious concerns related to the political, cultural, and social conditions of the contemporary world. The author develops his own contribution to ongoing debates on politics and education by offering a detailed analysis of the recent conceptions of civic and political education which are aimed at reinforcing democratic tradition in the modern society. The most important work in this area is J. Dewey’s book Democracy and Education and its subsequent interpretations in various political and educational theories (N. Chomsky, R.M. Unger etc.) testifying that each model of democracy needs of different kind of educational involvement.