The Indicators of Civic HealthIllinois 2009 Civic Health IndexNovember 18, 2009
 Connecting to civic and religious groups. Such groups are the seedbeds of democracy. They recruit and educate citizens, bring them together for discussion, and increase their capacity for improving society. National Illinois Belong to group or organization 48% 49% Attend a club meeting 27% 31% Work on a community project 19% 18% Attend religious services at least once a month 39% 38% Trusting other people Trust correlates with associational membership because one must have at least limited trust in at least some others before one can work with them voluntarily; and collaborative work often enhances trust. National Illinois Definitely or generally agree that most people are honest 67% 67% Definitely or generally agree that most people try to be helpful 58% 62% Connecting to others through family and friends Close interaction with families and/or friends promotes health and well-being and supports civil society by providing the information, encouragement, and networks that people need to engage in larger groups and communities. National Illinois Whole family eats dinner together 60% 63% Spend a lot of time visiting friends 40% 44% Spend a lot of time communication with others using 58% 65% a computer, cell phone, or other electronic device Citizen-centered engagement. “Citizen-centered” engagement means bringing diverse groups of citizens together both to discuss and define an issue and to work voluntarily to address it. Citizen-centered engagement thus combines deliberation with action. National Illinois Attended a community meeting in which there was a 16% 15% discussion of community affairs* Worked with other people in your neighborhood to 13% 9% solve a community problem* Tried to change local policies in a place like a school, 8% 9% workplace, college or neighborhood Giving and Volunteering Voluntary contributions of time and money address serious public problems and support civil society. National Illinois Volunteered in the past 12 months* 40% 43% Willing to spend more time volunteering 40% 38% Staying informed Valuable participation requires information, which can be gleaned from other citizens, the news media, the Internet, and many other sources. National Illinois Generally follow news about the government and public affairs 62% 63% Use the internet at least once a week to gather information 18% 22% about politics, a social issue, or a community problem Watch a presidential candidate’s speech online 21% 25% Watch an online video in support of or opposition to 21% 23% a presidential candidate Understanding civics and politics Related to the previous category, these measures measure to what degree Americans feel informed. National Illinois Feel able to understand politics and government 45% 49% Participating in politics Regardless of one’s political views and attitudes toward government, it is important to influence democratic institutions. National Illinois Voted in the 2008 Presidential Election 78% 77% Since the election, contacted elected officials about any 12% 11% issues that were discussed during the campaign Tried to persuade friends about an issue that was discussed 33% 28% Trusting and feeling connected to major institutions Trust in government and the mass media can be understood as a subjective attitude that often (but not invariably) correlates with taking voluntary political action. Trust can also be understood as a measure of how trustworthy our institutions actually are. National Illinois My vote matters 70% 71% People like me have a say 47% 49% Government in Washington generally does what is right 27% 30% Great deal of confidence in the people who run the press, 10% 10% such as newspapers, and news magazines Expressing political views Voting is a powerful means of making choices, but it communicates the voter’s views very imperfectly. Fortunately, citizens have other opportunities to say more precisely what they believe about public issues. National Illinois Write a letter or email to the editor of a newspaper 5% 6% or magazine Try to talk to someone about why they should vote 32% 29% for a candidate or party Wear a campaign button, put a campaign sticker on the car, 18% 15% or place a campaign poster in the window or in front of the house Express opinions about political or social or community issue by: Email 45% 45% Blog 5% 4% Writing on Someone Else’s Blog 9% 10% Social networking site 17% 15% Facebook causes Application 7% 8% Making a photo, video, audio 7% 8% Commenting on Someone Else’s photo, video, audio 14% 13% Instant Messaging 14% 15% Text messaging 17% 15% Voting in favor or against a video or news story on YouTube or Digg 8% 10% *Although the same questions are asked in CPS Volunteering supplement, the rates are different due to difference in sampling methodology, sample size, and survey method (interview vs. online survey). If you like this kind of content, sign up for an NCoC.net account and we'll customize your homepage recommendations based on your interests..
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