Youth Civic EngagementWilliam GalstonProfessor, School of Public Affairs, University of Maryland.Director, CIRCLE

Registration and VotingSource: The Civic and Political Health of the Nation, A Generational Portrait, 2002.

Follows Government and Public AffairsSource: The Civic and Political Health of the Nation, A Generational Portrait, 2002.

Community Problem SolvingSource: The Civic and Political Health of the Nation, A Generational Portrait, 2002.

Regular Newspaper, TV News, and Radio News ExposureSource: The Civic and Political Health of the Nation, A Generational Portrait, 2002.

Tolerance/Appreciation of DiversitySource: The Civic and Political Health of the Nation, A Generational Portrait, 2002.

Distrust of PeopleSource: The Civic and Political Health of the Nation, A Generational Portrait, 2002.

Pro-Government responses to questionsSource: The Civic and Political Health of the Nation, A Generational Portrait, 2002.

Changing Priorities Among College Freshmen: Money CountsSource: HERI Freshman Survey, 1966 to 2000.

Interest in Public Affairs Among College Freshmen is DownSource: HERI Freshman Survey, 1966 to 2000.

High School Activities

15.81966196672.9196623.3

16.51967196775.227.422.3

196812.7196878.733.620.3

196916.4196971.430.519.7

197014.1197070.931.319

197113197166.824.418.4

197219721972197219721972

197319731973197319731973

197419741974197419741974

197519751975197519751975

197619761976197619761976

197719771977197719771977

16.68.91978197819781978

18.48.61979197919791979

198019801980198019801980

20.18.81981198119811981

21.88.21982198219821982

21.37.51983198319831983

19848.972.5198419841984

1985198573.3198519851985

1986198672.3198619861986

198719871987198719871987

35.48.71988198821.51988

37.3198966198919891989

39.6199066.41990199020.4

39.3199168.83524.918.7

41.17.370.234.429.71992

38.5199372.6199322.71993

40.5199474.3199419.21994

41.1199574.926.217.91995

42199676.926.918.71996

42.4199778.924.916.51997

45.9199879.624.616.51998

46.4199981.123.916.91999

45.420008122.816.42000

organized demonstrations

political campaign work

volunteer work

voted in student election

discussed politics

president of student organization

High School Activities Reported by Incoming College Freshmen

NES newspaper

1974197464

1976197665.4

1978197858.7

1980198050.5

198219821982

71.518.61984

78.2231986

65.822.31988

74.818.61990

63.115.11992

199419941994

67.110.71996

199819981998

66.517.62000

Source: National Election Study

read newspaper at least once a week

read newspaper every day

Do you read a daily newspaper?

Newspaper readership

Participation Index

1.48

1.58

1958

1.84

1.24

1.71

1966

1.62

1.47

1.79

1.33

1.66

1.41

1.63

1.47

1.55

1.26

1.38

1.22

1.61

The average number of the following activities performed during a campaign: trying to influence others to vote for a candidate; attending political meetings; working for a party or candidate; wearing a button or sticker; donating money; and writing letters to the editor. (Moving 4-year avarage to account for the election cycle.) Source: National Election Study.

mean participation index

Political Participation Index

NES political acts

339.1266.2

276.31.817.1

15.71958195844.8

29.312.101960

11.82.6043.7

414.82.928.6

28.21966196647.2

348.72.923.9

23.16.15.446.9

38.99.23.925.7

15.671.346.1

3661.827.5

15.56.54.238.3

41.27.4122.2

20.810.65.626.6

30.86.73.616.2

15.63.50.837.9

23.15.40.61988

11.42.61.71990

34103.21992

1994199419941994

20.25.11.51996

1998199819981998

36.14.51.82000

At least one political act

talk, influence others' vote

attend political meeting

work for party or candidate

Talk, influence others' vote

attend political meetings

work for party or candidate

at least one political act*

at least one political act*

talk, influence others' vote

attend political meetings

work for party or candidate

Political Activities

talk, influence

33

27

15.7

29.3

11.8

41

28.2

34

23.1

38.9

15.6

36

15.5

41.2

20.8

30.8

15.6

23.1

11.4

34

1994

20.2

1998

36.1

source: National Election Study

Talk, influence others' vote

Moving 4-year average

percent of Americans age 17-24

Talking About Politics

objectives of freshmen

1966196669.71966196660.328.142.219661966

1967196763.71967196754.52641.985.81967

1968196860.61968196855.422.739.5851968

18.135.767.21969196956.219.342.284.91969

2035.371.731.1197057.21636.279.11970

15.929.964.227.5197146.714.637.272.61971

17.431.968.631.3197253.316.638.774.91972

15.932.265.71973197346.21973197372.41973

13.928.463.230.1197441197443.765.21974

15.931.268.133197542.7197546.968.31975

16.931.265.531.6197642.6197650.265.21976

17.732.466.9323944.6197756.2631977

16.732.967.429.137.141.9197858.560.31978

17.333.566.328.535.142.6197961.156.31979

18.234.266.729.635.745.2198062.554.21980

16.73365.226.133.644.119816452.81981

16.833.16425.334.243.719826850.61982

15.732.464.524.433.540.5198368.747.91983

17.234.16424.334.543.2198470.4481984

17.734.16524.735.21985198569.246.91985

16.434.359.120.430.11986198671.9441986

18.638.160.421.732.21987198774.143.11987

1988198819881988198819881988198819881988

21.643.360.825.238.244.4198973.843.81989

22.244.863.228.242.346.6199072.345.91990

20.542.962.926.438.853.5199172.747.51991

22.346.164.92946.444.634.571.448.91992

22.544.365.428.243.442.1199371.947.81993

20.842.364.227.238.536.534.971.846.61994

18.740.762.925.835.832.333.572.845.41995

18.840.363.625.836.132.835.372.944.51996

17.639.163.825.333.730.13573.344.51997

17.538.363.524.732.330.234.472.944.11998

17.137.361.923.33028.631.572.1431999

17.637.661.722.730.828.130.973.442.42000

influence political structure

influence social values

help others in difficulty

participate in community action

promote racial understanding

keep up to date with political affairs

become a community leader

become well off financially

develop meaningful philosophy of life

Objectives of College Freshmen

values

196642.2

85.841.9

8539.5

84.942.2

79.136.2

72.637.2

74.938.7

72.4

65.243.7

68.346.9

65.250.2

6356.2

60.358.5

56.361.1

54.262.5

52.864

50.668

47.968.7

4870.4

46.969.2

4471.9

43.174.1

1988

43.873.8

45.972.3

47.572.7

48.971.4

47.871.9

46.671.8

45.472.8

44.572.9

44.573.3

44.172.9

4372.1

42.473.4

develop meaningful philosophy of life

become well off financially

News Interest

60.3

54.527.4

55.433.6

56.230.5

57.231.3

46.724.4

53.3

46.2

41

42.7

42.6

44.6

41.9

42.6

45.2

44.1

43.7

40.5

43.2

1984

1985

1986

198721.5

44.4

46.6

53.524.9

44.629.7

42.122.7

36.519.2

32.317.9

32.818.7

30.116.5

30.216.5

28.616.9

28.116.4

important to keep up to date with political affairs (college freshmen)

discussed politics in high school

volunteering

72.5

73.3

72.3

1987

1988

66

66.4

68.8

70.2

72.6

74.3

74.9

76.9

78.9

79.6

81.1

81

performed volunteer work in high school

priorities

1966196669.71966196660.328.1196642.2

1967196763.71967196754.52685.841.9

1968196860.61968196855.422.78539.5

18.135.767.21969196956.219.384.942.2

2035.371.731.1197057.21679.136.2

15.929.964.227.5197146.714.672.637.2

17.431.968.631.3197253.316.674.938.7

15.932.265.71973197346.2197372.41973

13.928.463.230.1197441197465.243.7

15.931.268.133197542.7197568.346.9

16.931.265.531.6197642.6197665.250.2

17.732.466.9323944.619776356.2

16.732.967.429.137.141.9197860.358.5

17.333.566.328.535.142.6197956.361.1

18.234.266.729.635.745.2198054.262.5

16.73365.226.133.644.1198152.864

16.833.16425.334.243.7198250.668

15.732.464.524.433.540.5198347.968.7

17.234.16424.334.543.219844870.4

17.734.16524.735.21985198546.969.2

16.434.359.120.430.1198619864471.9

18.638.160.421.732.21987198743.174.1

198819881988198819881988198819881988

21.643.360.825.238.244.4198943.873.8

22.244.863.228.242.346.6199045.972.3

20.542.962.926.438.853.5199147.572.7

22.346.164.92946.444.634.548.971.4

22.544.365.428.243.442.1199347.871.9

20.842.364.227.238.536.534.946.671.8

18.740.762.925.835.832.333.545.472.8

18.840.363.625.836.132.835.344.572.9

17.639.163.825.333.730.13544.573.3

17.538.363.524.732.330.234.444.172.9

17.137.361.923.330