Government and Citizens

Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement

Civic engagement is the sense of connectedness that citizens feel with others, a willingness to serve their community and engage in community problem-solving. It can take many forms -- from making charitable contributions to volunteering, from voting to campaigning for candidates or issues to serving on local boards, committees, and councils. Virginia encourages citizens to strengthen their communities through civic participation, volunteerism, and service.

Why is This Important?

Virginia values citizen involvement in their communities. Civic engagement promotes social trust and improves the quality of life in the Commonwealth. Robert Putnam argues in Bowling Alone that such "social capital" is necessary for good government and economic development. Civic engagement improves the lives of both participants and beneficiaries. Higher social capital levels have been linked with better health, lower crime, improved educational outcomes, and greater individual happiness. There are also economic benefits: One estimate places the economic value of the charitable or nonprofit sector at 7 percent of national income.

How is Virginia Doing?

Volunteerism

One measure of civic engagement is the percentage of residents who volunteer. In 2011, 28.5 percent of Virginia's adults worked unpaid volunteer hours. This ranked the state 21st in the nation, higher than the national rate of 26.8 percent. The leading state for volunteerism was Utah at 40.9 percent. Tennessee (24.5%), North Carolina (26.4%), and Maryland (27.6%) all had lower volunteer rates than Virginia.

Charitable Contributions

Charitable contributions provide another measure of social involvement. Virginia households donated an average of $1,320 in 2008, which represented 2.0 percent of household gross adjusted income. This percentage has declined somewhat since 2004, in line with nationwide trends. Virginia ranked 13th among U.S. states and just above the national average of 1.9 percent. However, Virginia lagged regional peer states Tennessee (2.4%), North Carolina (2.5%), and Maryland (2.5%). Utah led the nation in this category as well, with 4.6 percent of income being donated as charitable contributions.

Among Virginia regions, in 2008 the Central region had the highest contribution as percentage of income (2.30%), followed by the West Central region (2.29%) and the Hampton Roads region (2.26%). The Southwest region had the lowest contribution percentage at 1.35 percent, followed by the Northern region, with 1.88 percent.

Voter Turnout

Voter turnout gauges citizens’ level of political involvement, an important component of civic engagement -- and a prerequisite for maintaining public accountability. The number of voters as a percent of the estimated citizen voting age population (CVAP) provides one measure of voter participation. In 2010, Virginia ranked 39th in the nation, with 38.6 percent of CVAP casting ballots. Maine had the highest turnout in 2010, with 56.0 percent of CVAP casting ballots. Virginia had a higher voting rate than Tennessee (34.5%), but lower than North Carolina (39.4%) and Maryland (45.9%). Total voter turnout in the nation in 2010 was 42.3 percent.

Turnout rates in Virginia’s regions are available for the 2010 national elections using a voting age population (VAP) measure that includes all residents of voting age, rather than just citizens. The Central and Southside regions had the highest VAP turnout rates at 39.9 percent, followed by the Eastern region at 39.2 percent. The lowest turnout rate was in the Valley region (28.4%). Total Virginia VAP turnout in 2010 was 36.0 percent, lower than the national VAP rate of 38.7 percent. (See Voter Registration and Turnout for a full discussion).

What Influences Civic Engagement?

The pressures of time, money, and family commitments can negatively affect civic engagement. For instance, citizens who work full-time and experience long commutes have less time available for community service and civic activities. By contrast, part-time employees and citizens who live and work in small towns volunteer at greater rates. Senior citizens, who tend to be retired or part-time workers, contribute more average volunteer hours than other age groups.

Social stratification and community divisions along the lines of income, race, ethnicity, and religion can make civic engagement more difficult. Educational levels and church attendance are strongly correlated with civic engagement and philanthropic giving.

Political engagement -- or lack thereof -- is a big factor in voter turnout. According to Thomas Patterson in The Vanishing Voter, since 1960 the type of citizen who votes less often has been gradually replacing the type who votes more often -- with the decline in participation concentrated among low-income Americans. Voter turnout is also affected, among other factors, by the office being voted on, convenience of registration, and voter educational level, age, and attitude.

What is the State's Role?

The State Board of Elections administers election laws and manages voter registration. The Virginia General Assembly is responsible for creating voter laws and dividing the state into representative legislative and Congressional voting districts; every 10 years (after every U.S. national popluation census), legislators must review and if necessary redraw these districts to reflect population changes.

The state can help promote civic engagement by ensuring fair voter and redistricting processes; by building partnerships among government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private citizens; and by maintaining networks of information about volunteer and charitable opportunities. It can also lead by example and provide easy access to information about government activities and decision-making, solicit and use public input, and encourage public employees to donate and serve. Citizens are much more likely to volunteer if they are asked.

Since education is also an important determinant of social capital, state support for public education, including civic education and service learning, is key to improving engagement.

What Can Citizens Do?

In a word: Participate! Citizens can become involved through activities as simple as voting, donating to a community-based organization, or attending a public meeting. Other possibilities involve a range of greater time commitments, such as volunteering with a neighborhood organization or church group, or joining a local volunteer fire department, or serving on a local government commission, committee, or task force. The Commonwealth of Virginia provides information on volunteer opportunities and volunteer training programs through several outlets, including Virginia Service.