Political scientists and sociologists have long established significant differences in civic engagement between women and men. Utilizing data from the 2006 Civic and Political Health of the Nation Survey, and several other sources, new information is provided on the civic engagement of youth, confidence in government, and following public affairs…

Adolescents who volunteer do better in school, feel more positive about themselves, and avoid risky behaviors (for example, using drugs). Teens who participate in service activities also are more likely to vote, and to have a positive work ethic and a socially responsible attitude as adults. In addition to benefits for the individual, the…

Volunteering rates among young people are generally higher than they are among adults 26 and older. However, measuring volunteer rates among all adults is a difficult task. In recent years, efforts at measuring volunteering have produced widely different estimates, largely because of the methods employed to measure volunteering. For example, the…

On November 8th, CIRCLE released preliminary estimates showing that youth voter turnout rose to approximately 24% of eligible young voters between the ages of 18 and 29. This fact sheet presents information about young voters' political preferences, the issues that concerned them, and updated turnout estimates. Most of the information presented in…

Video games provide a diverse set of experiences and related activities and are part of the lives of almost all teens in America. To date, most video game research has focused on how games impact academic and social outcomes (particularly aggression). There has also been some exploration of the relationship between games and civic outcomes, but as…

College experience and volunteering are positively correlated. Measurable differences in civic activity exist between young people who attend college and young people who do not. This fact sheet explores volunteering as civic engagement among youth with college experience, ages 19-25, which was down for the second year in a row in 2006. The…

Ways of enhancing knowledge of political institutions, processes and positions are the focus of many prescriptions for improving civic education and civic engagement among young people. A recent data source including a rigorously developed test of knowledge, provides an opportunity to empirically compare the performance of students in the United…

This paper provides an overview of the current socioeconomic characteristics of Hispanics in the United States, and suggests factors of particular significance in projecting future Hispanic demographics and their implications for the Hispanic community and the broader American population. Hispanics are the second largest minority group and more…

As part of a statewide study of public opinion, "Illinois: Today and Tomorrow," questionnaires were distributed to a sample of Illinois residents to determine their perceptions of land use, planning, and zoning. Respondents were asked whether more, the same amount, or less land should be allocated to specific uses (homes, recreation,…

What difference does a sense of trust in a political system, schools, or fellow citizens make for young people's civic and political participation? Some argue that a certain amount of skepticism among adult citizens motivates participation rather than complacency. Is that also true for young people? Or, is there a threshold level of trust…

This report presents information from a national survey commissioned by the Public Education Network and Education Week of registered American voters and from focus group interviews, assessing the extent to which the public is supporting or failing public schools. Americans report having only 3 hours or less per week to help improve public…

Displays data concerning the number of government work stoppages for each major issue across the several political subdivisions in the United States from 1968 to 1977. Also speaks to the involvement of third party interests in collective negotiations as a way of reducing these work stoppages. (Author/IRT)

Focuses on the role that citizen groups--both grass roots and nationally affiliated--play in local communities, examines the history of these groups, describes their activities, presents research findings, and sketches library service trends in several communities. References are included. (FM)

This fact sheet presents information on the frequency of volunteering, trends in volunteering, and the organizations for which young people volunteer, utilizing data from multiple sources. Unlike many surveys, it shows that volunteering rates among young people are generally higher than they are among adults 26 and older. Findings of the Civic and…

This survey was conducted by the Gallup organization on the volunteering and giving behavior of U.S. teenagers as a supplement to a national survey on giving and volunteering among U.S. adults. Information was obtained from in-home personal interviews with 301 teenagers from 14 to 17 years of age. Results indicated that 58 percent of teenagers…