Research on Youth Civic Engagement Center for Civic

Research on Youth Civic Engagement Center for Civic Education Webinar Diana Owen Georgetown University

Youth Civic Engagement • Young people are less interested and engaged in politics than older citizens. • While they sporadically exhibit higher levels of engagement, such as during the 2008 presidential contest, they do not consistently take part in political and civic life. • Can civic education effectively work to reverse this trend? • What types of instructional methods are effective in instilling participatory orientations in students?

Findings from two surveys: • Civic Education and Political Engagement Study (CEPES) • We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Alumni (WTP)

Civic Education and Political Engagement Study (CEPES) • National Probability Survey – Original study designed by the Georgetown University and Center for Civic Education Research Team – Fielded by Knowledge Networks (KN) – Data collected: May 14 -28, 2010 – n=1, 228 • Survey Explores – Support for civic education – Civic education experience – Attitudes toward civics instruction – Political socialization – Political knowledge – Political attitudes and values – Political participation – Community involvement – Campaign activity – Traditional media use – New media use

We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Alumni • Convenience Sample – Utilized same questions at the CEPES designed by the Georgetown University and Center for Civic Education Research Team – Online questionnaire fielded by Georgetown University. – Data collected in 2 waves: May and June, 2010 n=1, 002 May and June 2011 n= 243 • Over 30 million students and 90, 000 teachers have participated in the We the People program since it’s inception in 1987 • The first round of data collected targeted all We the People alumni • The second round, same survey, was administered to a sample of recent graduates, half of whom were winners of state-level competitions and half of whom were typical program students

Civic Education Experience of Respondents • CEPES National Survey – No Civic Education – A civics or social studies course – A civics course and program 24% 64% 12% • Wide range of over 75 programs, including Boys and Girls State, Street Law, YMCA Youth and Government, Rotary, Junior Statements, Harvard CIVICS Program • Not all civic education programs are alike: different goals, curricula, instructional strategies, etc. • We the People Alumni Survey – All respondents have completed the WTP curriculum – A subset attended national finals – Note: There were more WTP alumni in the CEPES national probability sample than participants in any other program

Type of Instruction in Civics Classes Lecture Text-Book Current Events Class Activities Community Activities Always/Mostly 54% 68% 30% 29% 5% Sometimes 29% 27% 49% 41% 19% Rarely/Never 17% 5% 21% 30% 76% Always/Mostly 67% 43% 71% 18% Sometimes 26% 42% 23% 38% 7% 15% 4% 6% 44% CEPES WTP Rarely/Never

Political Knowledge • To what extent do individuals’ civic education experiences correlate with their factual knowledge of government and politics? • What types of instructional methods are most effective in conveying factual civic and political knowledge?

Higher levels of political knowledge are associated with higher levels of civic education CEPES- National Probability Sample (percentage of respondents answering the question correctly) Χ 2 sign. p≤. 00 for all knowledge items No Civic Ed Presidential Succession # of U. S. Senators U. S. House Member Term # Supreme Court Justices First Amendment to Constitution 49% Civics/Social Studies Course Only 39% Civics/Social Studies Course and Program 59% Total Sample 33% 47% 64% 52% 24% 40% 50% 42% 21% 37% 51% 41% 17% 23% 35% 27% Election 32% 44% 54% 46%

Political Knowledge of We the People Alumni (percentage of respondents answering the question correctly) 2011 WTP Students (not National Finalists) 2011 WTP National Finalists National Sample (age 18 -19) WTP Alumni Sample National Sample Presidential Succession 90% 94% 35% 85% 46% # of U. S. Senators 80% 92% 48% 80% 52% U. S. House Member Term 73% 80% 43% 68% 42% # Supreme Court Justices 88% 92% 38% 85% 41% 1 st Amend. to Constitution 91% 97% 35% 87% 27% Election 77% 86% 40% 71% 46%

How much do you feel you know about the following? Percentage Answering “A great deal” No Civic Ed Civics/Social Studies Course Only Civics/Social Studies Course and Program Total Sample We the People Core Constitutional Principles 2% 24% 31% 24% 87% Early American History 3% 20% 25% 20% 75% <1% 7% 12% 8% 70% Organization of Government 2% 19% 28% 21% 86% Lawmaking Process 3% 19% 24% 19% 69% Function of Institutions 2% 23% 31% 24% 86% Citizen Rights / Responsibilities 13% 32% 38% 32% 89% Voting Process 10% 35% 42% 35% 81% Electoral College <1% 20% 28% 21% 67% 3% 24% 31% 17% 52% Federalism US Relationship with Other Nations

Lecture and textbook approaches positively correlate with the acquisition of factual political knowledge Political Knowledge by Classroom Instructional Method (CEPES) (percentage of respondents correctly answering the question whose civics instruction “always” included the method) Lecture Textbook Current Events Class Activities Community Activities Presidential Succession 53% 47% 39% 36% 42% # of U. S. Senators 64% 57% 38% 29% U. S. House Member Term 53% 52% 41% 33% 38% # Supreme Court Justices 55% 49% 40% 36% 31% 1 st Amendment to Constitution 38% 34% 35% 30% 32% Election 47% 51% 39% 35% 42%

Political Knowledge Summary of Findings • Civic Education has a positive effect on political knowledge. • Lecture and textbook approaches are positively related to the acquisition of factual political knowledge. • Discussion of current events alone does not predict acquisition of factual political knowledge. Classrooms that rely too heavily on discussions of current events may not convey factual political knowledge in a manner that is retained by students. However, integrating discussion of current events into a curriculum that includes discussion of relevant topics is positively associated with heightened knowledge levels.

Norms of Political Participation • Does civic education contribute to the development of norms of political participation—civic duty, political efficacy, and civic responsibility?

Civic Duty Percentage who “agree strongly” No Civic Ed Civics/Social Studies Course Only Civics/Social Studies Course and Program Total Sample We the People Alumni To Vote 70% 51% 79% 76% 89% To Serve on a Jury 49% 51% 55% 53% 68% To Serve in the Military 22% 20% 17% 19% 5%

Political Efficacy Percentage who “agree strongly” No Civic Ed Civics/Social Studies Course Only Civics/Social Studies Course and Program Total Sample We the People Alumni My opinion counts 27% 28% 28% 41% I can take action to influence govt. decisions 15% 19% 22% 20% 46% I know how to get involved to make changes in my community 12% 13% 16% 14% 35%

Civic Responsibility Percentage who “agree strongly” No Civic Ed Civics/Social Studies Course Only Civics/Social Studies Course and Program Total Sample We the People Alumni Follow govt. and politics 15% 30% 35% 30% 64% Keep informed about govt. 31% 50% 57% 51% 72% Take part in govt. affairs 28% 33% 30% 57% Volunteer in my community 19% 18% 19% 46%

Norms of Political Participation Summary of Findings • Civic Education has a positive effect on the development of a sense of civic duty, political efficacy, and civic responsibility. • Innovative civic educational instructional approaches generally promote the development of a sense of civic duty, political efficacy, and civic responsibility. • Exception to the general trend: There is no relationship between civic education and the development of a sense of duty to serve in the military.

Voting and Campaign Participation • Are people with higher levels of civic education more likely to vote and participate in elections than those who lack civic training? • What types of curricular innovations are most effective in encouraging voting and electoral participation over the life course? • How does civic education factor into traditional campaign participation as well as that involving the use of social media?

Youth Voting Trends in Presidential Elections Source: CIRCLE Youth Voting Fact Sheet

Youth Voting Trends in Midterm Elections Source: CIRCLE Youth Voting Fact Sheet Source: U. S. Census CPS 1974 -2010

Some Explanations for Young Voter Turnout • Political Socialization – Partisan identification on the decline, but still a relevant factor in voter participation • Civic Education – Development of civic skills – Civic education efforts of the past quarter century are paying off with increased turnout in some recent presidential elections • Mobilization and Invitations to Participate – Party, candidate, and political consultants – Youth voter mobilization efforts • Media Messages – Media framing of young voters

Voting and Civic Education Experience No Civic Ed Voted in 2008 Election 55% Voted in Previous 48% Elections χ2 p≤. 05 for Civic Education Index Civics/Social Studies Only 78% 73% Civics/Social Studies and Program 83% 78% Total Sample 73% 67% We the People Alumni 88% 78%

Voting (Eligible Voters) by Age CEPES Study Voted in 2008 Election Voted in Previous Elections 18 -29 65% 53% 30 -44 77% 79% 45 -59 84% 86% 60+ 91% 93% • 48% of 18 -29 year olds who had no civic education voted in the 2008 presidential elections, compared to 66% of those who had taken a civics or social studies course and 77% of those who had participated in a civic education program like We the People.

How much do you feel you know about the following? --The voting process --The electoral college Percentage answering “a great deal” by civic education Voting Process Electoral College No Civic Ed Civics/Social Studies Course Only Total Sample We the People Alumni 35% Civics/Social Studies Course and Program 42% 10% 35% 81% <1% 20% 28% 21% 67%

Participation in Campaign Activities No Civic Ed Civics/Social Studies Course Only Civics/Social Studies Course and Program Total Sample We the People Alumni Volunteered for Candidate or Party 6% 7% 2% 5% 22% Voter Mobilization 0% 3% 2% 2% 12% Contributed Money 15% 12% 9% 11% 16% Button, Bumper Sticker, Yard Sign 21% 15% 12% 14% 36% Attended Rally 3% 9% 5% 6% 17% Called Talk Show 0% 3% 1% 2% 3% <1% 10% 14% 11% 31% Did Something on Your Own

Engaged the 2008 Presidential Election via New Media Percentage answering “frequently” No Civic Ed Civics/Social Studies Course Only Civics/Social Studies Course and Program Total Sample We the People Alumni Used social networking sites 23% 10% 7% 3% 31% Watched online videos 20% 15% 13% 7% 28% Followed campaign blogs 12% 6% 7% 2% 13% Posted something online 13% 8% 4% 1% 11% Visited candidate website 21% 19% 15% 22% Used email to send info 11% 15% 14% 19% 14% Used Twitter 8% 3% <1% 1% 3%

Campaign Participation and Civic Education Experience No Civic Ed Traditional and Social 7% Media Participation Traditional Participation 11% Only Social Media 12% Participation Only No Campaign 70% Participation χ2 p≤. 05 for Civic Education Index Civics/Social Studies Only Total Sample 17% Civics/Social Studies and Program 24% 15% We the People Alumni 53% 14% 20% 14% 7% 19% 16% 21% 52% 38% 54% 19%

Voting, Campaign Engagement and Civics Curricular Activities Civic Education and Political Engagement Study Debate Compete Mock Trial Hearing Mock Election Speech Current Events Letter Petition Attend Meeting Meet Leaders Field Trip Comm Service Civic Material Total Percent/n Voted 87% 88 85 68 89 85 88 89 87 90 88 88 91 93% 73% (905) Engaged 85% 86 84 90 85 85 86 93 83 84 87 83 88 93% 46% (524) Total 21% 5 12 2 12 18 24 9 5 8 5 24 7 1% sign. voted engaged . 00 n. s. . 00 . 03. 02 . 00 . 01. 00 n. s. . 01. . 00. 00 . 01 n. s. 2

Voting, Campaign Engagement and Civics Curricular Activities We the People Alumni Survey Debate Compete Mock Trial Hearing Mock Election Speech Current Events Letter Petition Attend Meeting Meet Leaders Field Trip Comm Service Civic Material n Voted 92% 88 90 86 89 90 90 91 93 90 90 92 88 93% 88% (463) Engaged 85% 86 91 89 87 86 85 86 93 89 87 83 88 94% 81% (539) Total 88% 83 77 68 67 78 94 76 48 74 81 88 79 41% sign. Voted Engaged . 00. 00 2

Voting and Campaign Behavior Summary of Findings • Civic education matters for voting and participation in election campaigns. • People who feel they are knowledgeable about the electoral process are more likely to participate. • Classroom instruction is more important than extracurricular activities in promoting voting and electoral engagement. – With the possible exception of participating in politically-relevant extracurricular activities • Engagement in campaigns through social media is a new and evolving phenomenon that warrants consideration for civic educators.

Civic and Political Engagement • Does civic education contribute to greater engagement in civic and political life? • What types of civic and political activities are most highly correlated with civic education?

Have you done any of the following activities? No Civic Ed Civics/Social Studies Course Only Civics/Social Studies Course and Program Total Sample We the People Contact Official 20% 43% 39% 70% Sign/Circulate Petition 37% 57% 60% 56% 69% Boycott / Buycott 6% 17% 22% 17% 26% Community Association 3% 20% 15% 16% 42% Run for Office 3% 1% 1% 1% 5% Volunteered in Community 21% 49% 42% 92% Protest or Demonstration 5% 16% 17% 15% 36% Athletic Event for a Cause 11% 28% 32% 28% 60% Protect Environment 23% 41% 49% 42% 69% Filled Out Census 63% 76% 82% 77% 71%

Civic and Political Engagement Summary of Findings • People with no civic education are significantly less inclined to take part in civic and political activities than people with at least some civic training. • People who have civics program experience, such as We the People, are the most inclined to be engaged.

Summary • Civic education matters. • Even a small amount of civic education encourages people to become more civically and politically engaged citizens. • To consider: • How can civic educators respond to the rapidly changing political and civic environment, especially the use of digital media for engagement? • What curricular approaches might best prepare students to engage meaningfully in this environment?

• Publications • Owen, Diana. 2012. “The Influence of Civic Education on Electoral Engagement and Voting. ” From Service-Learning to Civic and Political Engagement. Ed. Alison Mc. Cartney, Elizabeth Bennion, and Richard Simpson. (Washington, D. C. : American Political Science Association) in press. Owen, Diana, Suzanne Soule, Jennifer Nairne, Rebecca Chalif, Kate House, and Michael Davidson. 2011. “Civic Education and Social Media Use, ” Electronic Media & Politics, 2011, vol. 1, no: 1 -28. • • Papers • Owen, Diana, Suzanne Soule, Jennifer Nairne, Rebecca Chalif, Michael Davidson, Katherine House. 2010. "Civic Education and Social Media Use. " Paper prepared for presentation at the Annual Preconference of the American Political Science Association Political Communication Division, The George Washington University, Washington, D. C. , September 1. • Owen, Diana, and Suzanne Soule. 2010. "Civic Education and the Development of Participatory Norms. " Paper prepared for presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Washington, D. C. , September 2 -6. (Note: top 10 downloaded paper from the conference) • Owen, Diana. “Civic Education and Elections in the United States. ” Paper prepared for presentation at the German-American Conference, “Comparisons of Parliamentary and Coordinated Power Systems, ” Bloomington, Indiana, March 4 -8, 2011 • Owen, Diana. 2011. “The Influence of Civic Education on Electoral Engagement and Voting, ” paper presented at the American Political Science Association Teaching and Learning Conference, Albuquerque, NM, February 11 -13. • Owen, Diana, Suzanne Soule, and Rebecca Chalif. 2011. “Civic Education and Knowledge of Government and Politics, ” paper prepared for presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Seattle, Washington, September 1 -4.