Civic engagement and its relationship to the health of democracy in America has received nationwi... more Civic engagement and its relationship to the health of democracy in America has received nationwide attention during the last decade. While the very definition and scope of "civic engagement" is still contested, policy makers, journalists, researchers, and community leaders have bemoaned a decline in citizen engagement and democracy's capacity to solve public problems at the community level. In the aftermath of the September 11th, 2001 tragedy, initial reports signaled a resurgence in civic engagement and a renewed faith in democracy, however, the research provides mixed evidence regarding the net impact on citizenship and American democratic institutions. Whether Americans are withdrawing from public life or participating in different ways is still a matter of much scholarly contention. Although no consensus has been reached about the overall level (quantity) of civic engagement, the debate has broadened to include important questions about the quality, equality, and sustainability of participation.
What are the key factors that foster, enhance, and sustain citizens' civic engagement and build a community's capacities for reinvigorating democracy? The Democracy Collaborative at the University of Maryland, in partnership with the Center for the Study of Voluntary Organizations and Service at Georgetown University, has conducted a national-level assessment to examine what works to strengthen civic engagement in the United States. Developing a comparative framework to understand the variables that enhance civic engagement and democratic citizenship at the community level, this research study draws on a growing knowledge base of effective civic innovations and strategies of various communities around the United States. The goal of this research effort is to help policy makers, advocates, practitioners, and foundation program officers set objectives and design strategies tailored to the realities of their communities that strengthen civic engagement, community involvement, and, ultimately, democratic citizenship.
Civic engagement and its relationship to the health of democracy in America has received nationwi... more Civic engagement and its relationship to the health of democracy in America has received nationwide attention during the last decade. While the very definition and scope of "civic engagement" is still contested, policy makers, journalists, researchers, and community leaders have bemoaned a decline in citizen engagement and democracy's capacity to solve public problems at the community level. In the aftermath of the September 11th, 2001 tragedy, initial reports signaled a resurgence in civic engagement and a renewed faith in democracy, however, the research provides mixed evidence regarding the net impact on citizenship and American democratic institutions. Whether Americans are withdrawing from public life or participating in different ways is still a matter of much scholarly contention. Although no consensus has been reached about the overall level (quantity) of civic engagement, the debate has broadened to include important questions about the quality, equality, and sustainability of participation.
What are the key factors that foster, enhance, and sustain citizens' civic engagement and build a community's capacities for reinvigorating democracy? The Democracy Collaborative at the University of Maryland, in partnership with the Center for the Study of Voluntary Organizations and Service at Georgetown University, has conducted a national-level assessment to examine what works to strengthen civic engagement in the United States. Developing a comparative framework to understand the variables that enhance civic engagement and democratic citizenship at the community level, this research study draws on a growing knowledge base of effective civic innovations and strategies of various communities around the United States. The goal of this research effort is to help policy makers, advocates, practitioners, and foundation program officers set objectives and design strategies tailored to the realities of their communities that strengthen civic engagement, community involvement, and, ultimately, democratic citizenship.
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What are the key factors that foster, enhance, and sustain citizens' civic engagement and build a community's capacities for reinvigorating democracy? The Democracy Collaborative at the University of Maryland, in partnership with the Center for the Study of Voluntary Organizations and Service at Georgetown University, has conducted a national-level assessment to examine what works to strengthen civic engagement in the United States. Developing a comparative framework to understand the variables that enhance civic engagement and democratic citizenship at the community level, this research study draws on a growing knowledge base of effective civic innovations and strategies of various communities around the United States. The goal of this research effort is to help policy makers, advocates, practitioners, and foundation program officers set objectives and design strategies tailored to the realities of their communities that strengthen civic engagement, community involvement, and, ultimately, democratic citizenship.
What are the key factors that foster, enhance, and sustain citizens' civic engagement and build a community's capacities for reinvigorating democracy? The Democracy Collaborative at the University of Maryland, in partnership with the Center for the Study of Voluntary Organizations and Service at Georgetown University, has conducted a national-level assessment to examine what works to strengthen civic engagement in the United States. Developing a comparative framework to understand the variables that enhance civic engagement and democratic citizenship at the community level, this research study draws on a growing knowledge base of effective civic innovations and strategies of various communities around the United States. The goal of this research effort is to help policy makers, advocates, practitioners, and foundation program officers set objectives and design strategies tailored to the realities of their communities that strengthen civic engagement, community involvement, and, ultimately, democratic citizenship.