The Indiana Bar Foundation, the National Conference on Citizenship, Indiana University Northwest and the Hoosier State Press Association are also partners in the creation of the Indiana Civic Health Index.
A new report released today shows Miami is the least civically engaged in the country compared to Minneapolis-St. Paul, the most engaged metropolitan area. The report helps to shed light on the contributing factors behind each city’s civic engagement in an effort to improve civic health. Researchers say that while the two areas differ demographically those differences do not explain the gap between their civic engagements.
The civic health of Illinois, and the Chicago region in particular, is ailing. Two reports show that Chicago-area and Illinois residents are less likely to vote, attend a public meeting, and pitch in with neighbors compared to national averages. However, although national averages in accessing news and information are appallingly low, residents of Illinois and the Chicago region compare favorably on this measure.
During this difficult economic period, New York residents score at or above national rates on social connectedness and access to local information. They trust people and local institutions with some trepidation while still consistent with national trends. However, New Yorkers are somewhat less likely than the average American to volunteer, give to charity or participate in the duties of citizenship including voting or attending community meetings or events, according to the 2010 New York State Civic Health Index.
The Oklahoma Civic Health Index shows that, while Oklahoma outperforms national trends for family and community building, some forms of civic involvement, such as voter turnout, may be lacking.
Oklahomans invest in private sociability and volunteer and exchange favors with neighbors at high rates, often above the national average. These personal activities form a strong basis for increasing the other foundations of civic involvement, such as voting and non-electoral political activity.
The 2010 California Civic Health Index examines two broad categories of civic health. “Social civic engagement” includes activities such as volunteering, working with neighbors on local problems, dining with family and group membership. “Political civic engagement” examines matters such as voting, registering to vote, and discussing politics with others.
A new report shows that Illinois citizens are disappointed, frustrated and disillusioned by recent political scandals and the pressures of the recession. The report, co-sponsored and funded by the Chicago-based McCormick Foundation and the McCormick Freedom Project, reveals a badly fractured civic culture, with Illinois ranking 40th in the nation. The study also found that young people in Illinois are significantly less engaged than those in other states.
Most measures of Arizona’s civic health lag those for the rest of the nation according to a report released today by the Center for the Future of Arizona and the National Conference on Citizenship. The study, entitled the "Arizona Civic Health Index," provides a detailed look at the serious disconnect between Arizona citizens, their elected leaders and their neighbors. The study also identifies opportunities for improving the state’s civic health.
The Missouri Civic Health Index is the first of its kind and is designed to help the state document the health of Missouri’s civic sector. It finds that while Missouri out-performs national trends for volunteering, community engagement and voter turnout, some forms of civic involvement, such as one-on-one interactions with neighbors, may be waning.
The Virginia Civic Health Index examines voter turnout and other measures of civic engagement, such as volunteering, attending public meetings and donating to charitable causes. The trends among Virginia’s youth are generally discouraging – but show a few bright spots – leading the institutions to call for more and better civics education.
The North Carolina Civic Health Index 2010 indicates that North Carolina has the potential to flex its civic might, but there are serious gaps in civic participation that are cause for concern. North Carolina’s young people—the future leaders of our state and our communities—are the least civically engaged of any age group in North Carolina. Without civic engagement among young people, the civic health of the state lies in the balance.
Released as part of a major collaboration, part of a major collaboration, the Missouri Civic Health Index reveals how Missouri residents engage in important civic activities such as voting, volunteering, and interacting with neighbors. This type of engagement is critical because it is linked to the economic and personal health of individuals and communities.