As noted in the main body of the report, youth civic engagement has improved in some respects, al- though young people remain less engaged than their elders. The improvement in youth engagement is a possible precursor of civic renewal in America if young people reach the level of the Long Civic Generation (those born before 1930) that is gradually exiting the civic stage.

The volunteering rate is up among 18-25 year olds (pictured), and up even more sharply among high school students (not charted here, but charted earlier in the sec- tion on “Improvement in Youth Civic Engagement”).

Young adults are no less likely to work together on community projects—a core aspect of democratic participa- tion or “public work.” They were less likely than older people to report such work 30 years ago, but the gap has narrowed.

On some measures, young adults have basically followed the same trend as the whole population. For example, they have similar views of major institutions.

Like older adults, they have become gradually less likely to participate in club meetings, but the gap has remained relatively constant.