New Report: 2011 Civic Life in America

Today the National Conference on Citizenshp (NCoC) and the Coporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) released a report on the civic health of the U.S. between 2008 and 2010. The 2011 Civic Life in America: Key Findings on the Civic Health of the Nation. Civic Life in America is based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau.

The report suggests that the majority of Americans are civically engaged in their communities. In particular, “A majority of Americans participated in many of the activities contained in three of the five civic engagement categories measured in the report: political action, connecting to information/current events, and social connectedness. More than a third were active across several of the activities in the remaining two categories: service and volunteering and participating in an organized group.” (CNCS Press Release)

The report also suggests that civic engagement is a “reinforcing cycle.” As such, “Citizens who participate in one area of civic engagement, like volunteering, are more likely to get involved in groups, contact public officials, or work with neighbors. In addition, the results show evidence similar to what researchers see across the “volunteer lifecycle”—the arc of civic involvement that tends to increase as citizens feel a deeper connection to their communities through personal networks, their workplace, and their children’s schools.” (CNCS Press Release)

For more information about Civic Life in America, visit http://Civic.Serve.gov.

For more information about the Corporation for National and Community Service, visit NationalService.gov.

For more information about the National Conference on Citizenship, visit NCoC.net.