In September 2011, “Civic Health and Unemployment: Can Engagement Strengthen the Economy?” was released. It found that states and cities with higher civic engagement rates saw less growth in unemployment during the height of the recession. One reason this might exist is the “Good Government Hypothesis.” The hypothesis, as printed in the brief, states:


Communities and political jurisdictions with stronger civil societies are more likely to have good governments. Rates of voting (in 2006), registering to vote (in 2006 and 2008), and contacting public officials (in 2008) predict states’ resilience against unemployment from 2006-10. Those are measures of citizens’ engagement with government. Active and organized citizens can demand and promote good governance and serve as partners to government in addressing public problems. States with more civic engagement have much higher performing public schools (regardless of the states’ demographics, spending, and class sizes). American cities with stronger civic organizations are better able to make wise but difficult policy decisions. Even internationally, regions with stronger civil societies handled an increase in responsibilities much better than those with weaker civil societies. In the current economic crisis, governments that benefit from better civic engagement may be able to reduce the scale of unemployment through more efficient and equitable policies.


We want to hear from you: Do you agree or disagree with this hypothesis? Why? Do you have data or stories that illustrate this story? Please share them.

In the “Continue Reading” section below, you can scroll through and comment on the other hypotheses we’ve proposed about why this connection exists.