Abby Kiesa Karlo Marcelo The 2006 Civic and Political Health of the Nation Survey A Detailed Look...

Abby KiesaKarlo Marcelo www.civicyouth.org

The 2006 Civic and Political Health of the Nation Survey

A Detailed Look at How Youth Participate in Politics and Communities

Mark Hugo LopezKarlo Barrios Marcelo

Washington, D.C.October 3, 2006


Project Goal

• To measure civic engagement of young people ages 15 to 25 and adults

• To measure the attitudes of young people towards civic engagement, government, politics and elections, and tolerance


Presentation Outline

A. Survey BackgroundB. 19 Core Indicators of EngagementC. Major Findings

– Race and Ethnicity– Confidence in Government– Political Knowledge– Tolerance– Partisanship– Generation “Uniqueness”


The 2006 Civic and Political Health of the

Nation Survey• Conducted from April 27 to June 11• 1,700 Young People ages 15 to 25• 550 Adults 26 and older• Over-samples of young Latinos, African-

Americans, and Asian-Americans• Margin of error ±2.6 percentage points• Replication of 2002 CPHS by Keeter et.

al.


19 Core Indicators of Engagement

• Civic Measures– Community problem

solving– Regular Volunteering– Active Group

Membership– Participation in

fundraising run/walk/ride

– Other fundraising

• Electoral Measures– Regular Voting– Persuading Others– Displaying buttons,

signs, stickers– Campaign Contributions– Volunteering for a

candidate or political organization


19 Core Indicators of Engagement (cont’d)

• Indicators of Political Voice– Contacting Officials– Contacting the Print

Media– Contacting the

Broadcast Media– Protesting

– Signed E-mail petitions– Signed Written petitions– Boycotting– Buycotting– Canvassing


There is Broad Engagement…

• Engagement among young people 15-25– 26% say they vote regularly– 35% say they tried to persuade others– 36% say they volunteered– 30% boycotted– 11% have protested in last year– On average 3.7 activities in past year– Over 80% have engaged in at least one

activity


Five Most Common Activities

26%

29%

30%

35%

36%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Regular Voter (for those 20 andolder)

Buycotted (last 12 mos.)

Boycotted (last 12 mos.)

Tried to persuade others in anelection

Volunteered in the last 12 months(any type)

26 and older 15 to 25


Five Most Common Activities

56%

33%

38%

40%

34%

26%

29%

30%

35%

36%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Regular Voter (for those 20 andolder)

Buycotted (last 12 mos.)

Boycotted (last 12 mos.)

Tried to persuade others in anelection

Volunteered in the last 12 months(any type)

26 and older 15 to 25


Yet some are disengaged

• 58% have done 1 or fewer electoral or civic activities in past year

• 17% have done none of 19 activities


A Typology of Engagement Among 15 to 25s

Electoral Activities

0 or 1 2 or more

Civic Activities

0 or 1 58% 17%

2 or more

12% 13%

Disengaged

Civic Specialist Electoral

SpecialistDual Activist


How Do Youth and Adults Compare?

Youth (Ages 15 to 25)

Dual Activist13%

Electoral Specialist

17%

Disengaged58%

Civic Specialis

t12%

Adults (Ages 26 and older)

Dual Activist16%

Civic Specialist

13%Electoral Specialist

27%

Disengaged44%


Major Findings: Race and Ethnicity

• African-Americans are the most POLITICALLY engaged

• Asian-Americans are highly engaged in civic activities

• Young Latinos are least engaged, however 25% have protested

• Young Whites are neither most nor least engaged


Civic Typology by Race/Ethnicity,

Ages 15 to 25, 2006

56%

53%

67%

54%

17%

22%

13%

13%

14%

9%

8%

16%

13%

17%

12%

17%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

White, NH

African-American, NH

Latino

Asian-American, NH

Disengaged Electoral Specialist Civic Specialist Dual Activist


Confidence in Government is down

• Young people are more supportive of government than adults

• Two thirds believe “government should do more to solve problems”

However:• Plurality says that government is

“almost always wasteful and inefficient”, up 19 points over 2002


Change in Confidence in Government 2002 and 2006

63% 64%52% 43%

31% 31%41% 48%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

2006 2002 2006 2002

Govt should do more Govt does too many things

15 to 25 26 and older



52%65%

51% 56%

39%29%

38% 33%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

2006 2002 2006 2002

Govt regulation of business does more harmGovt regulation of business is necessary




47%29%

54%42%

45%65%

35%48%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

2006 2002 2006 2002

Govt often does a better jobGovt is almost always wasteful and inefficient



Political Knowledge is Low

• 53% are unaware that only citizens can vote in federal elections

• Only 30% can correctly name at least one member of the President’s Cabinet

• Only 34% know that the U.S. has a permanent seat on the UN Security Council


Most Engaged have Higher Level of Political Knowledge

5%

9%

10%

21%

90%

89%

86%

77%

5%

2%

4%

2%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Dual Activist

Civic Specialist

ElectoralSpecialist

Disengaged

Low Knowledge (0 Correct) Medium Knowledge (1-5 correct)High Knowledge (all correct)


Electoral Engagement and Political Knowledge

14%

22%

23%

82%

77%

89%

75%

6%

4%

1%

5%

2%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Registered to Vote

Not Registered toVote

Regular Voter(ages 20 to 25)

Not a RegularVoter (ages 20 to

25)

Low Knowledge (0 correct) Medium Knowledge (1-5 correct)High Knowledge (all 6 correct)


Young People Are Tolerant

• But somewhat less so than 2002• Remain more favorable toward

immigrants and gays than their elders• 67% say they have confronted someone

who said something they considered offensive, such as a racist or other prejudiced comment.


Acceptance of Gays

53% 60%46% 48%

40% 33%42% 41%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

2006 2002 2006 2002

Homosexuality Should Not be AcceptedHomosexuality Should be Accepted



Acceptance of Immigrants

57% 60%43% 48%

35% 29%

37% 35%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

2006 2002 2006 2002

I mmigrants Today are a Burden on Our CountryI mmigrants Today Strengthen Our Country



Partisanship

• Since 2002, fewer young people lean towards the Republican Party

– 47% Democrat (no change)– 28% Republican (3 point drop)– 24% Independent (2 point gain)


2002 and 2006 Partisanship

45%

47%

47%

47%

35%

37%

28%

31%

19%

16%

24%

22%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

2006

2002

2006

2002

Democrat Republican Independents

15 to 25

26 and older


Fewer Young People See Their Generation as Unique

• 59% say their generation is unique (10 point drop)

• Among young people who are 19 to 29 today (and were 15 to 25 in 2002), 56% say their generation is unique today. This is down 13 points from 2002.


Summary of Major Findings

• Young people are broadly engaged in their communities

• However a sizeable group is not engaged

• Young African-Americans are most politically engaged

• Though young Latinos report lowest engagement


Summary of Major Findings

• Political Knowledge is low, though the engaged exhibit more political knowledge

• Confidence in government is down• Acceptance of gays and immigrants

is lower today

Abby Kiesa Karlo Marcelo The 2006 Civic and Political Health of the Nation Survey A Detailed Look...

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