Why should we care?

For some time now, commentators and critics have noted a decline in the degree of civic participation and engagement in American life.

Decreased levels of voting, reduced levels of voluntarism, and even less time spent on activities with neighbors have all been cited as examples of the decline in civic engagement of this new age.
For example, in a 1987 poll of baby boomers, 77% said that the nation was worse off because of less involvement in community activities.
Fifty percent of Americans in 1996 felt that we were becoming less trustworthy.
In a 1999 survey conducted by Hart & Teeter, 68 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds reported that they felt disconnected from government.
There is a growing sense of unease that something is fundamentally wrong in American society, that we have lost the sense of community that unites a nation.
Ironically, in this age of hyper-connectivity with instant and global communications, commentators and scholars lament the loss of a sense of community, a sense of connectedness. This new Age of Technology, despite its innovations, is accompanied by a growing sense of disconnectedness.
The danger is that our collective loss of association creates problems both for our society and for our democracy.
At the precise moment in our history when immigration is swelling the number of Americans of different ethnicities and cultures, technology, work and other factors are separating us as neighbors and citizens.
For a new generation of Americans, community and neighborhood groups, associations, and organizations used to serve, along with the public schools, as agents in inculcating democratic values and ideals, linking citizens from different backgrounds and perspectives, creating a sense of collective commitment to one another, in order that we as Americans could live together effectively as neighbors, and as participating citizens in a great democracy.
The concern about a decline in civic engagement is not simply a wistful look backwards, nor is it a nostalgic yearning for a simpler time.
The loss of sense of community, and the concomitant commitment to act to support of that community, reduces the effectiveness of the community to accomplish collective goals.
Furthermore, it creates a downward spiral of opportunity: a reduction in groups and organizations diminishes opportunities for citizens to act for the collective good. Putnam describes the loss of participation as a loss of “social capital,” a loss of the social networks that affect the productivity of individuals and groups.
In the early years of our nation, an astute observer of America , Alexis de Tocqueville, noted that associations create positive effects on participants: “feelings and ideas are renewed, the heart enlarged, and the understanding developed only by the reciprocal action of men one upon another.” Organizations and groups become places where people who are different interact, where forums allow ideas to be discussed and debated, and where democratic skills - running meetings, speaking in public, writing letters, and taking a position on the issues of the day are learned.
But perhaps the greatest loss our declining civic engagement poses is the threat to our democratic institutions.
At the beginning of the 20th century, John Dewey wrote that “democracy is more than a form of government; it is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience.”
Putnam argues that “the performance of our democratic institutions depends in measurable ways upon social capital.”
Putnam found that in the United States , individual states with high levels of social capital developed more innovative public policy. “Politics in these states is more issue oriented, focused on social and educational services, and apparently less corrupt. Preliminary studies suggest that states high in social capital sustain governments that are more effective and innovative.”
A task force of the American Political Science Association put it succinctly: “…current levels of political knowledge, political engagement, and political enthusiasm are so low as to threaten the vitality and stability of democratic politics in the United States ” (APSA Task Force on Civic Education in the 21st Century, l989).
The American Democracy project rests on a core belief…that civic engagement is critical for the preservation and vitality of American democracy. Benjamin Franklin, more than 200 years ago, reminded us of democracy’s fragility. Upon exiting the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Franklin was approached by a group of citizens; they asked what sort of government the delegates had created. His answer: "A republic, if you can keep it."



	For some time now, commentators and critics have noted a decline in the degree of civic participation and engagement in American life. Decreased levels of voting, reduced levels of voluntarism, and even less time spent on activities with neighbors have all been cited as examples of the decline in civic engagement of this new age. For example, in a 1987 poll of baby boomers, 77% said that the nation was worse off because of less involvement in community activities. Fifty percent of Americans in 1996 felt that we were becoming less trustworthy. In a 1999 survey conducted by Hart & Teeter, 68 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds reported that they felt disconnected from government. There is a growing sense of unease that something is fundamentally wrong in American society, that we have lost the sense of community that unites a nation. Ironically, in this age of hyper-connectivity with instant and global communications, commentators and scholars lament the loss of a sense of community, a sense of connectedness. This new Age of Technology, despite its innovations, is accompanied by a growing sense of disconnectedness. The danger is that our collective loss of association creates problems both for our society and for our democracy. At the precise moment in our history when immigration is swelling the number of Americans of different ethnicities and cultures, technology, work and other factors are separating us as neighbors and citizens. For a new generation of Americans, community and neighborhood groups, associations, and organizations used to serve, along with the public schools, as agents in inculcating democratic values and ideals, linking citizens from different backgrounds and perspectives, creating a sense of collective commitment to one another, in order that we as Americans could live together effectively as neighbors, and as participating citizens in a great democracy. The concern about a decline in civic engagement is not simply a wistful look backwards, nor is it a nostalgic yearning for a simpler time. The loss of sense of community, and the concomitant commitment to act to support of that community, reduces the effectiveness of the community to accomplish collective goals. Furthermore, it creates a downward spiral of opportunity: a reduction in groups and organizations diminishes opportunities for citizens to act for the collective good. Putnam describes the loss of participation as a loss of “social capital,” a loss of the social networks that affect the productivity of individuals and groups. In the early years of our nation, an astute observer of America , Alexis de Tocqueville, noted that associations create positive effects on participants: “feelings and ideas are renewed, the heart enlarged, and the understanding developed only by the reciprocal action of men one upon another.” Organizations and groups become places where people who are different interact, where forums allow ideas to be discussed and debated, and where democratic skills - running meetings, speaking in public, writing letters, and taking a position on the issues of the day are learned. But perhaps the greatest loss our declining civic engagement poses is the threat to our democratic institutions. At the beginning of the 20th century, John Dewey wrote that “democracy is more than a form of government; it is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience.” Putnam argues that “the performance of our democratic institutions depends in measurable ways upon social capital.” Putnam found that in the United States , individual states with high levels of social capital developed more innovative public policy. “Politics in these states is more issue oriented, focused on social and educational services, and apparently less corrupt. Preliminary studies suggest that states high in social capital sustain governments that are more effective and innovative.” A task force of the American Political Science Association put it succinctly: “…current levels of political knowledge, political engagement, and political enthusiasm are so low as to threaten the vitality and stability of democratic politics in the United States ” (APSA Task Force on Civic Education in the 21st Century, l989). The American Democracy project rests on a core belief…that civic engagement is critical for the preservation and vitality of American democracy. Benjamin Franklin, more than 200 years ago, reminded us of democracy’s fragility. Upon exiting the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Franklin was approached by a group of citizens; they asked what sort of government the delegates had created. His answer: "A republic, if you can keep it."

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