NCoC: Online Engagement

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Online Engagement

As technology becomes a larger part of our daily lives, questions have been raised about its impact on our civic health. Does technology force social isolation behind computer screens and mobile devices, or does it provide more convenient outlets to take civic action, stay connected and informed, and express political views?

NCoC believes to address community issues and challenges in any area, research must be collected, discussion must occur, and solutions must be proposed. Here, you can see research, discussion, and solutions associated with online engagement. This is meant to help explain and animate that focus area, as well as facilitate the process of moving from information to action within it.

Online Issues:Research | Discussions | Solutions

Online Research

Title	Date	Type
Civic Health Index Finds America in the Midst of Civic ForeclosureStudy Finds that God, Friends and Facebook are Important Factors for Fostering Civic Engagement	August 27, 2009	press release
Social Media and A New Model of Civic Engagement by Nick TroianoWhile there remains a vibrant debate over whether social media is creating new activists or just enhancing the tools used by existing ones, it is clear there has been a fundamental change in the way citizens ...	July 7, 2009	discussion
Allison Fine on Civic ROIUsing social media to listen and learn doesn’t become important as part of one campaign or effort; it is a way of being in this new world.	June 1, 2009	expert commentary
The Internet: Civic Polarizer or Unifier?There's an old saying, ”Great minds think alike.” Or is that just what we tell ourselves when we find people who think as we do? Sean Parker, William Galston and Joe Trippi conclude their dynamic ...	November 26, 2008	video
Gatekeepers and New MediaDuring the 2008 National Conference on Citizenship, panelists Bill Galston of the Brookings Institution and Sean Parker, Founding President of Facebook, agreed to disagree on the subject of gatekeepers ...	November 20, 2008	video
Can Facebook Replace Face-to-Face? The 2008 National Conference on Citizenship raised this provocative question with Sean Parker, Founding President of Facebook and Bill Galston of the Brookings Institute. Parker and Galston discussed, ...	November 14, 2008	video
Sandra Day O’ConnorFormer Justice of the Supreme Court I thought we needed to develop a program in the civics area, starting first with the courts and put it online with the computer and develop some actual participatory games to be played by the students ...	November 5, 2008	expert commentary
Ian RoweVice president of Strategic Partnerships and Public Policy, MTVI think there’s tremendous opportunity in the technologies we talked about in the prior panel. Incredible in terms of new types of communications – communications between people who already ...	November 5, 2008	expert commentary
Study to Explore How Social-Networking Sites Influence Voting BehaviorMuch has been written this election season about how the Internet, especially social-networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube, has changed the way people access and share political information. ...	November 3, 2008	blog
I’m Ready to Declare a Winner in the 2008 RaceOkay, all the arguments have been made. And I am ready to declare a winner in the 2008 race. The Internet. (The other winner will have to wait until Tuesday night). From the way campaigns connect to supporters, ...	November 3, 2008	blog

Online Discussions and Commentary

Title	Date	Type
Join the Civic Data ChallengeNCoC launched the first-ever Civic Data Challenge to bring new eyes, new minds, new findings, and new skill sets to the field of civic health. The Challenge is part of our larger effort, in partnership ...	July 17, 2012	civic health index
Discussion: Can Engagement Strengthen the Economy?6 Hypotheses on the Link Between Civic Health and UnemploymentResearch shows a connection between civic health and a community’s ability to weather a recession. We’ve posited 6 hypotheses about why this connection exists, and invite you to join in a discussion.	February 16, 2012	discussion
Politics and Social Media: What’s the Relationship Status?Measures of political involvement are down. Social media usage is up. A lot of attention is being focused on the role of social networks in the 2012 election, but early data suggests it is not realizing ...	February 8, 2012	discussion
How Do We Ensure Information Validity?A Civic Connector Commentary by Jim NewtonThe “Civic Connector” is a daily online forum during the 66th Annual National Conference on Citizenship. The September 19 commentator is Jim Newton, Editor at Large of the Los Angeles Times. ...	September 19, 2011	discussion
What’s Trending in #Congress?New Report Shows Capitol Hill Uses Social Media ExtensivelyMost Members of Congress have thoroughly integrated social media into their communications operations, and are using new media tools to gauge public opinion, communicate with constituents, and reach new ...	August 2, 2011	discussion
Can Social Media Reinvigorate American Democracy?There is no question that the rise of social media has impacted the way that American and global citizens interact with one another. The rapid transfer of ideas and perspectives across geographical boundaries ...	July 13, 2011	event reflection
Citizen Superheroes: Is There an App for That?Technology plays an increased role in the way citizens respond to community emergencies and, in some cases, fight back against crime. With so many ways (and likely many more to come) to engage, it ...	February 22, 2011	discussion
’Tis The Season For Solicitationsby Karlo MarceloTechnology and online engagement provide easy access and low cost ways for nonprofits to solicit donations. Mobile apps, celebrity campaigns, and bell ringers have all tried to capitalize on technology ...	December 20, 2010	discussion
Is 2010 the new 1517?In a TEDxPotomac talk, Craig Newmark referenced the reformation of the church based on the work of Martin Luther and suggested this decentralization was occurring again, nearly 500 years later, based on ...	May 20, 2010	discussion
eCitizenship... LiterallyMan uses Twitter, flickr, blogs, video to share naturalization experienceDavid Chen took both eCitizenship and his naturalization ceremony to a new level when he used social media to share his experience of becoming a U.S. citizen. David used Twitter, flickr, personal ...	March 19, 2010	discussion

Online Solutions

Title	Date	Type
Harnessing Active Citizenship: The Internet as a Tool to Engage the PublicIn Using Online Tools to Engage-and be Engaged- by The Public , author Matt Leighninger describes how a “public manager” can use specific technologies to harness the power of active citizenship ...	June 10, 2011	publication
Causes on FacebookCauses empowers anyone with a good idea or passion for change to impact the world. Using our platform, individuals mobilize their network of friends to grow lasting social and political movements.	February 23, 2010	partner
iCivicsiCivics (formerly Our Courts) is a web-based education project designed to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in our democracy.	November 17, 2008	partner

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My Six Month AnniversaryMay 2, 2013 Michigan Releases its 2012 Civic Health Index TodayApril 24, 2013 N.H. Ranks High in Civic Health, UNH Carsey Institute FindsApril 17, 2013

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