“Civic Engagement 101”

Tom TresserSeptember 14, 2015

Let’s get social…

#AdlerCivics@tomstee

Let’s get referential…

http://civicchicago.wikispaces.comUse this URL: https://wikispaces.com/join/PF4KTCP

LET'S START BY TAKING THIS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT POLL VIA TEXTIZEN

HAVE YOU DONE ANY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY IN THE PAST 24 MONTHS?

IF YES - TEXT "YES" TO 312-883-8103

IF NO - TEXT "NO" TO 312-883-8103

Standard text message rates apply

Results @ https://www.textizen.com/polls/2941

Enjoy the music while results gathered…

IF YES - TEXT "YES" TO 312-883-8103

IF NO - TEXT "NO" TO 312-883-8103

HAVE YOU DONE ANY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY IN THE PAST

24 MONTHS?

What is “Civic Engagement”?

Why Civic Engagement?

Why Civic Engagement?

Civic Engagement = Working to make a

difference in the life of your community.

Results…

https://www.textizen.com/polls/2941

CIVIC COMPETENCY – OUR CIVIC MUSCLES

• Civic mindset or “appetite”• Civic knowledge• Civic skills• Civic experience

A Word document summarizing these “muscles” is on our Civic Wiki.

Civic mindset or “appetite”Civic dispositions encompass interpersonal and intrapersonal values, virtues, and behaviors. How likely are you to engage?

• Tolerance and respect• Appreciation of difference• Rejection of violence• Concern with the rights and welfare of others• Commitment to balancing personal liberties with social

responsibility to others• Sense of belonging to a group or polity• Readiness to compromise personal interests to

achieve shared ends• Desire for community involvement• Attentiveness (to civic matters, the news, etc.)• Personal efficacy

Civic KnowledgeCivic content includes both core knowledge and the ability to apply knowledge to different circumstances and settings. What do you know.

• Key historical periods, episodes, cases, themes, and experiences of individuals and groups in U.S. history

• Principles, documents, and ideas essential to constitutional democracy• Structures, processes, and functions of government; powers of branches

and levels of government• Political vehicles for representing public opinion and effecting political

change• Mechanisms and structure of the U.S. legal system• Political and civic heroes• Social and political networks for making change• Social movements and struggles, particularly those that address issues

as yet unresolved• Structural analyses of social problems and systemic solutions to making

change

12

Pretty basic civic knowledge…• Percentage U.S. adults who can name all

three branches of government?

• Percentage U.S. Adults who can name all Three Stooges?

Zogby International Poll, August 2006

73%

42%

Civic SkillsIntellectual civic skills encompass knowing how to identify, assess, interpret, describe, analyze, and explain matters of concern in civic life. What (and HOW) can you do?

• Perspective-taking• Understanding, interpreting, and critiquing various media• Understanding, interpreting, and critiquing different points

of view• Expressing one’s opinions• Active listening• Identifying public problems• Drawing connections between democratic concepts and

principles and one’s own life experience  • Critical thinking – Do you have a B.S. Detector?

Civic ExperienceCivic participatory skills encompass knowing how to cope in groups and organizational settings, interface with elected officials and community representatives, communicate perspectives and arguments, and plan strategically for civic change. What have you done?

• Volunteering• Active listening, Engaging in dialogue with those who hold different

perspectives• Communicating through public speaking, letter writing, petitioning,

canvassing, lobbying, protesting• Managing, organizing, participating in groups• Building consensus and forging coalitions• Utilizing electoral processes – helping someone run • Utilizing non-electoral means to voice opinion (protest, petitioning,

surveying, letter writing, boycotting, and so on) • Planning and running meetings• Organizing and demonstrating• Running for public office

State of Civic Engagement

"This creative power is a striving power; this creative power can be seen in different views, in the power of evolution, in the power of life, in the power which accomplishes the goal of an ideal completion to overcome the difficulties of life." Alfred Adler - "The General System of Individual Psychology," an unpublished manuscript in the AAISF/ATP Archives.)

1. Increase youth voter registration 2. Increase youth volunteerism3. Expose youth to Fight For 154. Get people to care about Dyett Campaign5. Get people to donate $5 to the Red Cross6. Make case that someone from Adler should

run for Governor in 2018

Civic Creativity!

• 20 minutes to brainstorm (additive, +)

• Choose a scribe• What is your message?• How to get message out, attended to?• Report back

Civic Creativity!

Shameless Plug

www.tresser.comwww.tifreports.com

www.civiclab.us

tom@civiclab.us