The Civic and Political Health of the Nation: A Generational Portrait

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The Civic and Political Health of the Nation A
Generational Portrait

• September 19, 2002
• Washington, DC
• Funded by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts

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Project Overview Two Key Goals

• To assess the civic health of the American
  public, with a focus on youth
• To develop a compact, valid, and reliable set of
  survey-based indicators of civic and political
  engagement

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Project Phases and Schedule

• Spring 2001 expert panels with activists,
  organizers, academics
• Summer 2001 focus groups with citizens of all
  ages (and one after 9/11)
• Fall 2001 and winter 2002 extensive survey
  pretesting
• Spring 2002 two national surveys
• Summer 2002 confirming focus groups

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Todays Summary of Findings

• Levels of engagement and types of citizens
• Scott Keeter, George Mason University
• The Distinctive DotNets
• Cliff Zukin, Rutgers University
• Pathways to engagement
• Molly Andolina, DePaul University
• Difficult questions Krista Jenkins, Project
  Manager

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Cast of Characters

• DotNet cohort age 15-25
• Born 1977-1987
• GenX cohort age 26-37
• Born 1965-1976
• Baby Boomer cohort age 38-56
• Born 1946-1964
• Mature cohort age 57
• Born before 1946

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Activities of Interest

• Selected 19 specific behaviors to measure in the
  survey
• For most behaviors, respondents were asked about
  lifetime incidence and the past 12 months
• Survey also measured a range of attitudes and
  experiences

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The Dimensions of Engagement

• Many different ways in which citizens can be
  active in the society and the polity
• Patterns of activity fell into four key
  dimensions
• Civic activity
• Electoral activity
• Political voice
• Underlying all of these
• Attentiveness

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Civic Activity(organized voluntary activity
focused on problem solving and helping others)

• Regular volunteering for a non-electoral
  organization
• Working with others to solve a community problem
• Raising money for charity
• Belonging to groups

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Civic Activity
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Civic Activity
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Electoral Activity
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Electoral Activity
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Political Voice

• Signing petitions (written and e-mail)
• Contacting public officials
• Contacting the media or calling in to a talk show
• Protesting
• Canvassing
• Boycotting or buycotting

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Expressions of Political Voice
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Expressions of Political Voice
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What Makes an Engaged Citizen

• Found citizens working in different realms the
  civic and the electoral
• Most of those who are active work only in one or
  the other
• Those who work in both are special

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A Typology of Engagement
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A Typology of Engagement
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A Typology of Engagement
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A Typology of Engagement
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A Typology of Engagement
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A Typology of Engagement
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A Typology of Engagement
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A Typology of Engagement
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A Typology of Engagement
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A Typology of Engagement
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A Typology of Engagement
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Two or More Expressions of Political Voice
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DotNets More DisengagedFewer Dual Activists
Disengaged
Civic Specialist
Electoral Specialist
Dual Activist
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DotNets More DisengagedFewer Dual Activists
Disengaged
Disengaged
Civic Specialist
Civic Specialist
Electoral Specialist
Electoral Specialist
Dual Activist
Dual Activist
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The Distinctive DotNets

• Doing pretty well in the civic arena
• But far behind in the electoral arena
• Very different on several key attitudes
• and not too different on a few others

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DotNets Have a Much Stronger Generational
Identification
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Working With Others to Solve a Community Problem
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Regular Volunteering for Non-Electoral
Organizations
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Registration and Voting
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Attention to Politics Is Much Greater among Older
Cohorts
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Top Six Views of Politics

• Government
• Power
• Lying
• Corrupt
• Boring
• Confusing

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Bottom Six Views of Politics

• Responsive
• Ensures opportunity
• Irrelevant
• Interesting
• Public service
• Necessary

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Generations Have Similar Views of the Political
System

• It favors some over others
• Its filled with unnecessary conflict
• Its not responsive to public needs

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Government Should Do More To Solve Problems
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Government Often Does a Better Job Than People
Give It Credit For
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Most of the Time, People Are Just Looking Out For
Themselves
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DotNets Less Likely to Say That Good Citizenship
Entails Responsibility
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Homosexuality Should Be Accepted Immigrants
Strengthen the Country
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Focus on youth, ages 15-25What promotes
engagement?

• The surveys point clearly to four kinds of
  influences
• Good role models at home
• Practice in the schools
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Invitations

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Habits of the Home

• 16 of youth 15-25 said politics was discussed
  very often around the house
• 43 of youth 15-25 said someone in the household
  volunteered

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Political Talk Makes a Big Difference
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Political Talk Makes a Big Difference
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Volunteer Models Make a Big Difference
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Volunteer Models Make a Big Difference
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Lessons from the Schools Practice, Practice,
Practice

• 70 of high school students have taken a course
  that requires them to pay attention to
  government, politics or national issues
• 40 of college students have taken such a course
• About half of all students say these courses
  increased their interest

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Lesson 1 Teach Real Skills

• 80 of high school students have given a speech
  or oral report
• 51 have taken part in a persuasive debate or
  discussion
• 38 have written a letter to someone they dont
  know

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Skills Training
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Skills Training.Pays Off
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Lesson 2 Provide Open Discussion

• About half of all students say that teachers
  encourage open debate and discussion of issues
• 54 of high school students say that they are
  encouraged to make up their minds
• 70 of college students say that independent
  thinking is encouraged

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Lesson 3 Organizations Offer Training Grounds

• Two-thirds of current HS students are involved in
  some kind of school organized group or club
• Just 12 are student government 9 are service
  clubs
• Outside of school, they are involved in sports
  (44) or religious groups (37)
• Overall, 28 are involved with groups concerned
  about social or political issues

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High School Group Content(Among High School
Grads under 26)
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High School Group Content Matters(Among High
School Grads under 26)
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Volunteering The Carrot and the Stick

• 75 of high school students say that their school
  arranges or offers volunteer work 21 of high
  schools require it
• 65 of college students attend schools that offer
  such opportunities just 7 say such work is
  required

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Rate of Volunteering Higher when Schools are
Involved
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Rate of Volunteering Higher when Schools are
Involved
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Reaching Out to Youth

• Youth affected by more than families and schools
• Most DotNet volunteers were active because
  someone else put us together (20) or they were
  recruited by the group (39)

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But Young People Are Much Less Likely To Be Asked
To Work For Or Contribute To Candidate Or Party
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And They Are Also Less Likely To Say They Have
Contributed Money If Asked To Do So
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Invitations Matter For Other Activities

• Fundraising is an exception
• Across all other activities, mobilized youth much
  more active

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Being Asked Makes a Big Difference
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Being Asked Makes a Big Difference
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Major Findings of the Study

• DotNet cohort is distinctive
• Low levels of trust in other people
• But relatively high levels of civic engagement
• High level of faith in government and support for
  much of what it does
• But very low levels of electoral involvement

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Major Findings of the Study

• DotNet cohort is distinctive (cont.)
• Very tolerant of diversity in its many forms
• Narrow view of responsibilities of citizenship

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Major Findings of the Study

• Civic and political engagement occurs in two
  overlapping arenas
• The civic arena of organized voluntary activity
  and associations
• The electoral arena of elections and campaigns
• Half of the public is disengaged
• Just over 1/3 specialize in either civic or
  electoral activity
• One-in-six are Dual Activists

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Major Findings of the Study

• The expression of political voice is an integral
  part of both of the civic and electoral arenas
• Characteristics of citizens who are active in
  both arenas the Dual Activists
• Far more vocal than others
• Much more attentive
• Stronger sense of civic duty
• Balanced between the parties

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Major Findings of the Study

• Schools, parents, and outside organizations are
  having an impact on kids level of engagement
• Volunteering programs in schools are effective
• Civic skills learned in school promote activity
• Role models at home are important
• Being asked makes a difference
• More consumer activism occurring than anticipated
• DotNets no more or less cynical about politics
  than other cohorts