In order to grasp the ideas of contemporary world citizenship education, first of all, fundamental value orientation of citizenship education must be grasped in the tensions between nationalism and democracy; Secondly, new trend of nationalism and its influences on citizenship education under the background of globalization must be understood; and thirdly the new trends of the ideas of citizenship education must be put forward and understood in the disputes between liberalism(or neoliberalism) and republicanism(or communitarianism).