Creating Citizens: Values, Volunteering and Voting among Generation Next

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Creating Citizens Values, Volunteering and
Voting among Generation Next

• Molly W. Andolina, Ph.D.
• DePaul University
• mandolin_at_depaul.edu

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Research Background 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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Todays Talk

• Introduction Framework
• Data sources
• Studying generations
• Behaviors of the youth generation
• Attitudes of the youth generation
• Influences on youth engagement

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Main Data National Civic Engagement Study (I
II)

• 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
• ALL FUNDED BY A GRANT FROM THE PEW CHARITABLE
  TRUSTS

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Additional Data

• Pew Research Center Surveys
• CIRCLE Update to NCES
• UCLA Freshmen Surveys
• Surveys by Gallup, University of Michigan

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Life Cycle vs. Generation

• Young people today are different from older
  people in some ways.
• This could be because they are young (lifecycle
  explanation).
• This could be because they are a different
  generation.
• Young people today are different from previous
  youth cohorts.

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What Makes a Generation?

• Key Events
• The Zeitgeist the Spirit of the Times
• The Impressionable Years

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Generational Divisions

• DotNet cohort Under age 30
• Born 1977-1988 (and beyond?)
• GenX cohort Ages 31-43
• Born 1965-1976
• Baby Boomer cohort age 44-62
• Born 1946-1964
• Dutiful cohort age 63
• Born before 1946

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Key Events Zeitgeists

• Dutifuls Depression WWII Cold War FDR, Truman
  and DDE Presidencies
• Boomers Vietnam War Civil Rights Movement JFK,
  MLK RFK Assassinations Counter culture
• Gen X Iran Hostage Crisis stagflation Reagan
  presidency Iran-Contra Scandal Rise of
  congressional Republicans AIDS crisis
• Generation Next 1990s boom (and small bust)
  Clinton presidency GW Bush presidency Iraq War
  technological transformation

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Is there REALLY a Generation Next?

• Probably, but we wont know it for sure for a
  while
• Probably, but only in certain ways and not in
  others
• Probably, but we should not over-generalize, even
  about characteristics that do show generational
  differences

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The Civic Engagement of Generation Next
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Measuring Civic Behavior

• 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 (aka community activism)
• Electoral activity
• Political voice
• Underlying all of these
• Attentiveness

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Civic Activity
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Electoral Activity
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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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Two or More Expressions of Political Voice
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Gen Next More Disengaged Fewer Dual Activists
Disengaged
Disengaged
Civic Specialist
Civic Specialist
Electoral Specialist
Electoral Specialist
Dual Activist
Dual Activist
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Gen Next Electoral Politics

• Are they turning a Corner?

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Political Interest among College Freshmen
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Youth Reduced the Turnout Gap in 04
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2008 Presidential Elections

• Iowa Caucuses youth turnout TRIPLED over 2004
  election
• Chicago Board of Elections
• NH Primary

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The Civic and Political Attitudes of Generation
Next
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Gen Nexters have a strong Generational
Identification
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Attention to Politics Is Much Greater among Older
Cohorts
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All Cohorts 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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But Views of Government Differ
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GenNext Less Critical of Government
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GenNexters see Fewer Responsibilities Associated
with Citizenship
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And GenNext Is LessTrusting of Others
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But Nexter are Much More Tolerant
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More Mothers of Young Children Working Outside
the Home
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OK for Blacks and Whites to Date
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Developing Engaged Citizens

• What works?

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Four Key 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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Volunteer Models Make a Big Difference
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Schools Open Doors

• 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.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 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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Reaching Out to Youth

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

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Being Asked Makes a Big Difference
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GenNext 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 low levels of electoral involvement
• Perhaps changing?
• Very tolerant of diversity in its many forms
• Narrow view of citizenship

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The Role of Peers

• Conventional wisdom
• Negative, antiauthoritarian
• Research findings
• Varied, positive, prosocial
• Give information about politics and civic life
• Increase interest in politics volunteering
• Direct recruitment
• Across arenas electoral, community, voice

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Getting Nexters Involved

• Schools, parents, organizations peers are
  having a positive impact on 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
• DotNets no more or less cynical about politics
  than other cohorts