What is civic engagement?

What Are Examples of Civic Engagement?

Civic engagement can take many forms, ranging from simple individual actions to organized community efforts.

Some common examples include:

• Voting in elections: Choosing representatives and weighing in on ballot measures at the local, state, and national levels.
• Contacting elected officials: Sharing your opinions or concerns about public policies with the people who represent you.
• Volunteering: Contributing time and skills to nonprofit organizations, neighborhood projects, or community initiatives.
• Attending public meetings: Participating in city council meetings, school board discussions, and other local government processes.
• Supporting political campaigns: Volunteering for candidates, discussing their proposals, or helping inform other voters.
• Organizing community members: Bringing neighbors together to address shared problems or advocate for changes.
• Participating in public decision-making: Helping develop policies or decide how government resources should be allocated.

Civic engagement doesn't necessarily require involvement in formal politics. Even organizing a neighborhood cleanup or helping coordinate mutual aid can be forms of civic participation.

Why Is Civic Engagement Important?

Civic engagement matters because political decisions influence nearly every aspect of our daily lives, whether we participate in making them or not.

Lindsay Cormack, associate professor of political science at Stevens Institute of Technology, explains that decisions about roads, zoning, drinking water, and public infrastructure are all shaped by government.

Understanding how these decisions are made gives people opportunities to influence them.

Civic engagement can also help counter feelings of political hopelessness.

Jenna Spinelle, creator of When the People Decide, describes how everyday citizens have overcome government dysfunction to create meaningful change in their communities. Participating in those efforts can help people develop a sense of agency and confidence in their ability to make a difference.

Rather than viewing government as something that simply happens to us, civic engagement allows us to participate in shaping its decisions.

Is Civic Engagement More Than Voting?

Yes. Although voting is one of the most fundamental forms of civic participation, civic engagement extends far beyond elections.

Angela Glover Blackwell, a civil rights advocate and attorney, argues that democracy is ultimately about collective self-governance and creating the conditions for people to flourish.

From this perspective, elections and political representation are mechanisms through which people pursue broader democratic goals.

Michael Zakaras, director of Ashoka US, similarly argues that a healthy democracy depends on a strong civil society in which people regularly participate in their communities.

This might involve joining a neighborhood association, organizing a community project, volunteering with a nonprofit, or helping others participate in public life.

Voting gives citizens a voice in choosing their representatives, but civic engagement provides ongoing opportunities to influence their communities between elections.

How Can You Become Civically Engaged?

Getting involved doesn't require political expertise, substantial financial resources, or a position of authority.

Peter Levine, a leading scholar of civic engagement, recommends starting by participating in existing civic organizations and activities. When possible, he also encourages people to expand opportunities for others to participate.

One practical approach is to identify an issue you care about and find organizations already working on it.

For example, if you're concerned about housing affordability, you might attend a city council meeting, join a local housing organization, or learn how zoning decisions are made.

Another opportunity is participatory budgeting, a process in which residents help propose and select projects funded through public resources.

Political scientist Hollie Russon Gilman explains that participatory budgeting can give residents meaningful decision-making power while helping them understand how government works.

Citizens can also pursue change through ballot initiatives where state laws allow them. One example discussed in The Democracy Group's podcasts is the North Dakota group known as the BadAss Grandmas, whose grassroots organizing helped establish new ethics and campaign finance provisions in the state's constitution.

Civic Engagement Starts in Your Community

Civic engagement doesn't have to begin with a major political campaign or an ambitious plan to change the country.

Sometimes, it starts with a conversation between neighbors who recognize a shared problem and decide to do something about it.

The simplest way to become civically engaged is to find something in your community that matters to you and take one meaningful step toward improving it.

Whether that's voting in a local election, attending a public meeting, volunteering, or organizing with others, civic engagement is how ordinary people help shape the communities and democratic institutions that affect their lives.