LibGuides: Civic Engagement, Elections, and Voting: What is Civic Engagement?

What is Civic Engagement?

Community engagement is "individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. Civic engagement can take many forms, from individual voluntarism to organizational involvement to electoral participation. It can include efforts to directly address an issue, work with others in a community to solve a problem or interact with the institutions of representative democracy" (APA). Thomas Ehrlich contributes that it is "promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes." (Civic Responsibility and Higher Education). The study of civic engagement is to know what is in the "common good" or more simply, to be involved in your community to make life better. Engagement is a process where dialogue and conversation rather than activism or fear are used to help bring people together who may be on opposing sides of an issue.

Civics Education in America:

"Today it is more important than ever to ensure Americans have the knowledge and skills to participate in civic life. Informed and active citizens make for a stronger country, a stronger economy, and a stronger workforce. This is essential for our continued prosperity."

Learn About Civic Engagement

Use search terms such as "civic engagement"; "civic service"; "Civics"; "Equality", or "volunteers in civil society" to find articles, government publications, reports, book chapters, conference proceedings, and other works providing a broad background.

Assessing Civic Engagement: New Directions for Institutional Research by Dawn Geronimo Terkla
Publication Date: 2014
How does one assess community service, civic engagement, and the impact of service learning on a college campus? This volume reviews contemporary research, measurement instruments, and practices in the assessment of civic engagement in higher education.
Becoming Citizens in a Changing World by Wolfram Schulz; John Ainley; Julian Fraillon; Bruno Losito; Gabriella Agrusti; Tim Friedman
Publication Date: 2018
This open access book presents the results from the second cycle of the IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS 2016). Using data from 24 countries in Asia, Europe and Latin America, the study investigates the ways in which young people are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens in a range of countries in the second decade of the 21st century. It also responds to the enduring and emerging challenges of educating young people in a world where contexts of democracy and civic participation continue to change.
Democracy at Risk: How Political Choices Undermine Citizen Participation and What We Can Do About It by Stephen Macedo
Publication Date: 2005
This important new book explores the problem of America's decreasing involvement in its own affairs. Democracy at Risk reveals the dangers of civic disengagement for the future of representative democracy. The authors, all eminent scholars, undertake three main tasks: documenting recent trends in civic engagement, exploring the influence that the design of political institutions and public policies have had on those trends, and recommending steps that will increase the amount and quality of civic engagement in America.
The Disappearing Center: Engaged Citizens, Polarization, and American Democracy by Alan I. Abramowitz
Publication Date: 2010
Renowned political scientist Alan I. Abramowitz presents a groundbreaking argument that the most important divide in American politics is not between left and right but rather between citizens who are politically engaged and those who are not. It is the engaged members of the public, he argues, who most closely reflect the ideals of democratic citizenship—but this is also the group that is most polarized. Polarization at the highest levels of government, therefore, is not a sign of elites’ disconnection from the public but rather of their responsiveness to the more politically engaged parts of it.
Inclusion Through Exclusion: How Young Immigrant Israelis in the Nationalist Yisra'el Beitenu Party Read Israeli Citizenship by Anja Schmidt-Kleinert
Publication Date: 2018
How do young people from immigrant families become engaged in politics? Anja Schmidt-Kleinert examines the case of young Israelis who are actively engaged with the nationalist Yisra'el Beitenu party, led by the Israeli minister of defence, Avigdor Lieberman. She explores how the activists present Israeli citizenship in a way that is exclusionary to non-Jewish citizens and analyses their strategy to actively construct a sense of belonging to Israeli society or, more precisely, to the Jewish collective by (re-)producing the ethno-nationalist discourse.
Investing in Democracy by Carmen Sirianni
ISBN: 0815703139
Publication Date: 2009
The health of American democracy ultimately depends on our willingness and ability to work together as citizens and stakeholders in our republic. Government policies often fail to promote such collaboration. But if designed properly, they can do much to strengthen civic engagement. That is the central message of Carmen Sirianni's eloquent new book.
Teaching Civic Engagement by Forrest Clingerman (Editor); Reid B. Locklin (Editor)
Publication Date: 2016
Using a new model focused on four core capacities-intellectual complexity, social location, empathetic accountability, and motivated action--Teaching Civic Engagement explores the significance of religious studies in fostering a vibrant, just, and democratic civic order.
Transformative Civic Engagement Through Community Organizing by Maria Avila
Publication Date: 2017
Maria Avila presents a personal account of her experience as a teenager working in a factory in Ciudad Juarez to how she got involved in community organizing. She has since applied the its distinctive practices of community organizing to civic engagement in higher education, demonstrating how this can help create a culture that values and rewards civically engaged scholarship and advance higher education’s public, democratic mission.

America: History & Life with Full Text
A research database covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. It includes hundreds of full-text history journals and books, plus useful features such as the ability to search by time period.
American Civil Liberties Union Papers
The records of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on free speech, citizenship, race, discrimination, immigration, labor, radicalism, and related topics support the study of American legal history and complement the modules in the Making of Modern Law series. Documents include newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, court files, memorandums, telegrams, minutes, and legal case records. The papers are held at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library at Princeton University.
CQ Researcher
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Explores a single "hot" issue in the news in depth each week.
Gender: Identity and Social Change
Essential primary sources documenting the changing representations and lived experiences of gender roles and relations, and the struggle for women's rights, from the 19th century to the present. This expansive collection offers sources for the study of women's suffrage, the feminist movement, the men's movement, employment, education, the body, the family, and government and politics.
Indigenous Histories and Cultures in North America
Contains primary and secondary documents such as artwork, speeches, petitions, diaries, journals, and correspondence, early linguistic and ethnographic accounts, photographs, maps, rare books and newspapers, ranging from the 16th to the 20th century.
ProQuest History Vault: NAACP Papers
The NAACP Papers collection consists of 6 modules which contain internal memos, legal briefings, and direct action summaries from national, legal, and branch offices throughout the country. The documents range from 1909- 1972. The NAACP Papers document the realities of segregation in the early 20th century to the triumphs of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and beyond. Includes access to the following 6 modules: NAACP Papers: Board of Directors, Annual Conferences, Major Speeches, and National Staff Files; NAACP Papers: Branch Department, Branch Files, and Youth Department Files; NAACP Papers: Special Subjects; NAACP Papers: The NAACP's Major Campaigns--Education, Voting, Housing, Employment, Armed Forces; NAACP Papers: The NAACP's Major Campaigns--Legal Department Files; NAACP Papers: The NAACP's Major Campaigns--Scottsboro
ProQuest News Policy & Politics Magazine Archive
An archival collection of 15 major magazines (including the Newsweek archive) spanning areas including current events, international relations, and public policy. Offers multiple perspectives on the 20th century’s key issues and events. Full Text Included. Coverage: 1918-2015.

Action Research
Action Research is an international, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal, which is a forum for the development of the theory and practice of action research. The aim of the journal is to offer a viable alternative to dominant 'disinterested' models of social science, one that is relevant to people in the conduct of their lives, their organizations and their communities. The journal publishes quality articles on accounts of action research projects, explorations in the philosophy and methodology of action research, and considerations of the nature of quality in action research practice.
Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement
Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement is a refereed journal that responds to an emerging global movement of collaborative, critical and change-oriented community-university research initiatives. It provides a forum for academics, practitioners and community representatives to explore issues and reflect on methodological practices relating to the full range of engaged activity. The journal publishes empirical and evaluative case studies of community-based research and pedagogy; detailed analyses of partnership models, processes and practices; and theoretical reflections that contribute to the scholarship of engagement.
Journal of Community Engagement & Higher Education
The Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education is an on-line, refereed journal concerned with exploring community engagement and community-based learning perspective, research, and practice. It publishes accounts of a range of research focusing on practical and theoretical insights and understanding, in higher education and across the disciplines and professions. There is a focus on case studies emphasizing community engagement and engaged learning practices, methodology, and pedagogy.
Partnerships: A Journal of Service-Learning & Civic Engagement
Partnerships recognizes that successful engaged learning depends on effective partnerships between students, faculty, community agencies, administrators, disciplines, and more. The articles in this peer-reviewed journal focus on how theories and practices can inform and improve such partnerships, connections, and collaborations.
PRISM: A Journal of Regional Engagement
The quest for best practices is central to education, and the focus on best practices is typically limited to what happens in the classroom. Colleges and universities, however, have a wide range of activities beyond the classroom. In particular, many institutions of higher learning interact with their surrounding communities and regions. PRISM: A Journal of Regional Engagement is a peer-reviewed multi-disciplinary journal that seeks to discover, share, and promote best practices for such university-region engagement through the creation, application, and integration of knowledge.

Washington State Data

Chronic Disease Profiles
Through the Washington State Department of Health, this site provides local data on chronic diseases and related risk factors. The profiles describe the risk of chronic disease, including socioeconomic conditions, risk behaviors and conditions in youth and adults, preventive care utilization, and adult chronic disease prevalence.
Homeless and Housing Offices and Programs
Through the Washington State Department of Commerce, this site links you to resources to housing, liaisons to schools, health information, reports, and other services. They also collect data on homelessness.
Washington Data and Research
Through the Washington State Office of Financial Management, this site contains various Washington state data. Here you can find county and city data, crime and criminal justice statistics, state census updates, housing, economic information, poverty, city/county, health care, projections, demographics, etc.
The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI): Students Experiencing Homelessness
The Washington OSPI site offers data, reports, grants, assessments, training, webinars, and all kinds of resources related to supporting homeless students.
Washington State Department of Agriculture: Food Access
Explore hunger relief programs and services, access food near you, and review hunger relief program annual reports and county-level facts sheets to learn more about the need for food assistance services across Washington State.
Washington State Population Data
Through the U.S. Census Bureau, this site provides statistics for Washington state.

United States Data

American Community Survey Data
The American Community Survey (ACS) releases new data every year through a variety of data tables that you can access with different data tools.
BEARFACTS
Bureau of Economic Analysis regional fact sheets (BEARFACTS) provide data about personal income and gross domestic product (GDP).
Feeding America: Food Insecurity Map
A non-profit organization of over 200 food banks based in Chicago that began in 1979. They help prevent food waste at the source. At this site, you can also look at a map of food insecurity by state, county, and district.
Food Insecurity Data
Through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this site provides statistics, data products, graphics, interactive charts, and other assorted publications related to food, nutrition, and insecurity.

Center for Civic Education
The Center's mission is to promote an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy. The Center has reached more than 30 million students and their teachers since 1965
Charity Navigator
Since 2001, Charity Navigator has empowered millions of donors by providing free access to data, tools, and resources to guide philanthropic decision-making. With more than 225,000 charities rated, their comprehensive ratings shine a light on the cost-effectiveness and overall health of a charity’s programs, including measures of stability, efficiency, and sustainability. The metrics inform donors of not just where their dollars are going but what their dollars are doing.
Civic Responsibility Guide: Resources to Promote Civic Engagement
Explore the state of civics education and find civics education resources.
The Hope Center
The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University is a leading national action research center removing barriers to student success and well-being through: research, policy, and practice.
iCivics
iCivics envisions a thriving American democracy supported by informed and civically engaged young people. iCivics champions equitable, non-partisan civic education so that the practice of democracy is learned by each new generation. They work to inspire life-long civic engagement by providing high-quality and engaging civics resources to teachers and students across the nation.
State Legislative Civics Education Resources
Millions of American students and adults continue to be unfamiliar with how their government works at even a basic level, leading experts to, at worst, sound the alarm about a crisis in civics education or, at best, to call for its revitalization. Legislators, educators and civic-minded organizations are working to reverse this trend with the hope of reinvigorating American civics. This page provides resources and information not only for teachers, students and parents but for legislators and legislative staff who are interested in supporting and fostering civics education among their constituencies.

Civic Engagement, Elections, and Voting

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