2. The Generational Portrait Study A Source for Indicators of Civic Life Skills

3. The Civic and Political Health of the Nation: A Generational Portrait Funded by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts

4. 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

5. 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

6. Today’s Summary of Findings  Levels of engagement and types of citizens  Generational comparisons

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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 Attentiveness

10. 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

11. Civic Activity

13. Electoral Activity

15. 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

16. Expressions of Political Voice

18. 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

19. A Typology of Engagement

20. Civic Activities 0 or 1 2 or more

21. A Typology of Engagement Electoral Activities 0 or 1 2 or more Civic Activities 0 or 1 2 or more

22. A Typology of Engagement Electoral Activities 0 or 1 2 or more Civic Activities 0 or 1 48% 2 or more

23. A Typology of Engagement Electoral Activities 0 or 1 2 or more Civic Activities 0 or 1 48% 2 or more 16%

24. A Typology of Engagement Electoral Activities 0 or 1 2 or more Civic Activities 0 or 1 48%20% 2 or more 16%

25. A Typology of Engagement Electoral Activities 0 or 1 2 or more Civic Activities 0 or 1 48%20% 2 or more 16%16%

26. A Typology of Engagement Electoral Activities 0 or 1 2 or more Civic Activities 0 or 1 48%20% 2 or more 16%16%  Disengaged

27. A Typology of Engagement Electoral Activities 0 or 1 2 or more Civic Activities 0 or 1 48%20% 2 or more 16%16%  Disengaged  Civic Specialist

28. A Typology of Engagement Electoral Activities 0 or 1 2 or more Civic Activities 0 or 1 48%20% 2 or more 16%16%  Disengaged  Civic Specialist  Electoral Specialist

29. A Typology of Engagement Electoral Activities 0 or 1 2 or more Civic Activities 0 or 1 48%20% 2 or more 16%16%  Disengaged  Civic Specialist  Electoral Specialist  Dual Activist

30. Two or More Expressions of “Political Voice”

31. DotNets More Disengaged…Fewer Dual Activists Electoral Specialist Disengaged Civic Specialist Dual Activist

32. DotNets More Disengaged…Fewer Dual Activists Electoral Specialist Disengaged Civic Specialist Disengaged Civic Specialist Electoral Specialist Dual Activist

33. 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

34. Major Findings of the Study  DotNet cohort is distinctive (cont.) –Very tolerant of diversity in its many forms –Narrow view of responsibilities of citizenship

35. Major Findings of the Study  Civic and political engagement occur 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”

36. For Additional Information Molly W. Andolina, Ph.D. DePaul University mandolin@depaul.edu CIRCLE www.civicyouth.org Survey template and guide A New Engagement? Zukin et al. (Oxford, 2006)