September 11 and its aftermath have helped young people feel more positively about government, their communities, and their own civic and political involvement, but those more positive attitudes have yet to translate into action. While young adults now express greater trust in government and say they are more likely to participate in community groups, fewer are actually volunteering and a greater share now rule out public service or political careers.

Those are some of the key findings of the most comprehensive survey yet of young people released today, which contains a wealth of new information about attitudes toward, and participation in, politics and civic life. The in-depth poll provides some clear direction for candidates, parties, parents, and schools on what they may be able to do to improve the level of civic engagement of young people.

The survey of 1,500 Americans between the ages of 15 and 25 was commissioned by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE), the Center for Democracy and Citizenship, and the Partnership for Trust in Government at the Council for Excellence in Government. The polling firms of Lake Snell Perry and Associates and The Tarrance Group conducted it in January.

As is true for other adults, the September 11 attacks have spurred young people to have more positive attitudes about certain institutions:

• 62% say they trust government to do what is right.
• 67% say they are at least somewhat more likely to participate in politics and voting.
• 56% say they would now be at least somewhat likely to consider working for a community service organization.

• The share of young people who “never” volunteer has gone up by 10 points since 1998, from 27% to 37%; while only 31% now volunteer even occasionally, a one-year drop of 7%.
• of civic involvement have all dropped. The share of 18-24 year olds who make charitable donations has dropped 14 points since 1998 (to 72%); those who have joined a club or organization has declined by 11 points (to 46%); and those who volunteered at a community organization has fallen by 10 points (to 40%).
• Strong pluralities or majorities are sure they won’t engage in politics. 57% say they are not at all likely to run for elective office, 53% say they won’t join a political party, and 46% say they are not at all likely to volunteer in a political campaign.

“The good news is that we have an opportunity to engage young people. We now know more about what can make a difference – namely, how parents, voluntary associations, government, candidates and parties act towards the newest generation of voters,” said Galston of CIRCLE, which was formed last fall to serve as a key source of information and research about youth civic engagement and is a major component of an initiative funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

“Parents need to talk to their kids about politics and current events, schools should teach civics, associations of all kinds should ask young people to become involved, candidates need to take young people seriously, parties should focus more on getting young people to identify with them, and government should make opportunities for service widely available. All of those steps would make a powerful, long-term difference,” said Pat McGinnis, President and CEO of the Council for Excellence in Government.

Role of Parents
While the role parents play in shaping civic attitudes and behavior has been well known, the survey documents how powerful it is and that parents are the single most important factor in shaping young adults’ civic views and actions.

• Only 50% of young adults report that their parents discussed politics, government, or current events at least sometimes.
• For those whose parents discussed politics, 71% trust government, compared to 53% of those from homes without those discussions. By a two-to-one margin (68% to 33%), those who grew up with political discussions think voting is important. And 56% of those whose parents discussed politics believe they can make a difference in solving community problems, compared to just 37% or those from households where parents did not.
• A majority of Republican and Democratic young adults grew up in homes where politics was discussed at home, while only 45% of independents did so.

Role of Schools
At a time when community service has become a part of many high schools and Washington is talking about expanding volunteer programs, 55% of young adults oppose making this a high school requirement (with 36% strongly opposing it).

But young adults want schools to do more to teach them about civics. Two thirds (66%) say they favor requiring civics and government classes in high schools, with a third strongly favoring it.

Religion and Partisanship
Religion, party affiliation, and ideology make a striking difference in young people’s civic and political engagement. Those who regularly attend church or are Republicans or conservatives are far more likely to view politics favorably and be involved in it. For example:

• 64% of young churchgoers say voting is extremely or very important, compared to only 37% or non-church goers. And nearly half (48%) of church-going youth volunteer at least once a month (vs. 13% of non-church goers).
• A third of self-described Republicans and 29% of Democrats volunteer at least once vs. only 25% of independents.
• Liberals and conservatives are more likely to be registered to vote than moderates. Nearly threequarters of liberals and conservatives (72% and 74% respectively) are registered, compared to less than two-thirds (63%) of moderates.

Only half (53%) think government and elections address the needs of concerns of young people, and that politicians pay at least some attention to their concerns (48%). Young people also are far more likely to view politics and elections as elite affairs than avenues for democratic change. Many more view elections as simply a competition (49% strongly agreeing) than as a means by which a democratic community solves problems (30% strongly agreeing).

“Candidates for office should know that young adults are an enormous unclaimed constituency in American politics,” said David Skaggs, Executive Director of the Center for Democracy and Citizenship. “This survey confirms that they are more serious about voting than you might suspect -- and, they are ready to be asked.”

Policy Implications
Young adults say they are open to new opportunities to do community service, particularly when they receive something tangible in return. They are most resistant to new initiatives that would require mandatory participation, particularly in the case of those most directly affected by the proposed requirements.

81% favor a year of national or community service to earn money toward college or advanced training. 66% favor requiring civics and government classes in high school. Only 53% favor a service requirement in return for financial aid for college, and 55% oppose requiring community service as a prerequisite for high school graduation.

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Funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and housed at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Affairs, CIRCLE (www.civicyouth.org) is a premier source of impartial, nonpartisan, and comprehensive data, research, and analysis on the civic engagement of young people. The Council for Excellence in Government is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to improve the performance of government at all levels and government’s place in the lives and esteem of American citizens.