Civic Participation Declines for All Age Groups; Young People Most Likely to Volunteer
by Claire Libert
The fourth annual “America’s Civic Health Index” developed by the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) shows that 72 percent of Americans cut back on time spent volunteering, participating in groups and doing other civic activities in the past year as the economy contracted. Although this decline occurred among all age groups, the index offers some encouraging news about the potential for involving young people in local government and community service.The 2009 index finds that:
- Forty-three percent of young people between the ages of 15 and 29 volunteered over the last year, making them the most likely of any age group to lend their time to a civic cause. However, the high unemployment rate for youth — 15.5 percent for young people ages 18 to 24 during the first quarter of 2009 — may contribute to this relatively high level of engagement.
- Among young Americans, use of online social networking sites correlates strongly with higher rates of civic participation. This finding suggests that utilizing online media may be a particularly effective way for city leaders to tap into this pool of active citizens.
- Young people say that the top three incentives that would make them more likely to devote time to civic activities are educational vouchers, paid time off and tax breaks.
As a yearly check-up on civic attitudes and participation across the United States, this year’s “Civic Health Index” marks the beginning of NCoC’s official partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service and the U.S. Census Bureau, as established by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act in May 2009. To view the “2009 America’s Civic Health Index," visit www.ncoc.net.
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