Millennials Civic Health Index released today

Today, the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), CIRCLE, Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, and Mobilize.org have released the Millennials Civic Health Index. It paints a comprehensive picture of young Americans 18 to 29 and describes the diverse ways in which Millennials are taking action in their communities beyond the voting booth, online and offline, across different regions of the United States.

Some headlines:

  • this generation of Americans represents a potent civic and political force – comprising a national voting bloc of 21.3% of eligible voters who are playing a critical role in our democracy and driving community action nationwide;
  • education is strongly connected to civic engagement—some indicators show a college graduate is four or five times more likely to engage than someone without a high school diploma;
  • Millennials are hard hit by the economic crisis—62.9% are currently working, of which 31.2% work on a part-time basis—with potential implications for civic engagement;
  • some surprising trends–while engagement typically increases with age, 22-25 year olds have lower levels of social cohesion and volunteerism than older or younger peers. And, while education predicts most forms of engagement, young people without a college education are more likely to help their neighbors on a regular basis.

The full study can be found here. To hear a press call on the release today at 10 am Eastern, please dial 866-889-3913  and enter password YOUTH.

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About Peter

Associate Dean for Research and the Lincoln Filene Professor of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Tufts University's Tisch College of Civic Life. Concerned about civic education, civic engagement, and democratic reform in the United States and elsewhere.