NCoC: After the Election: Historic Turnout, But No “Civic Awakening”

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After the Election: Historic Turnout, But No “Civic Awakening”

California 2009 Civic Health Index

November 24, 2009

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California Civic Health Index 2009Click to Download PDF Document

Last fall’s election was the most dramatic exception to Californians’ civic engagement decline. From the presidential race to statewide ballot initiatives, more Americans involved
themselves in politics than ever before. Many pundits began to wonder whether the experience would trigger a new age of public participation across the country. During the primaries, Newsweek columnist, Anna Quindlen, opined, “The turnout tells the tale—American apathy of seasons past has given way to civic engagement.”13 Sociologist Robert Putnam posited that the increase in the youth participation and voting during the presidential campaign “evinced the sharpest increase in civic engagement in at least a half-century, portending a remarkable revitalization of American democracy.”14

Like many states, California also experienced a dramatic surge in voter participation. With a record number of voters heading to the polls (13.7 million), the 79.4% turnout among registered voters was the second highest proportion in state history— second only to the 1964 presidential race between Lyndon Johnson and Barry Goldwater.15

Still, surveys in early 2009 reveal that the November elections did not have the long-term civic “coattails” many had hoped. As in many states, there was a signiﬁcant drop-off in civic engagement after the election in California. This occurred across a variety of political activities, from contacting elected ofﬁcials to discussing issues with friends. At the time this survey was conducted, most Californians (58.9%), like Americans in general (64%), had yet
to participate politically again in any substantive way. The most popular action taken—both nationally and in California—was trying to persuade friends. But relatively few respondents said they were still trying to change local policies or contact local ofﬁcials.

While this dramatic pullback back in volunteering and public engagement can—at least in part—be attributed to the dramatic downturn in the economy, this survey also reveals the extent to which Californians have persevered under some of the worst economic conditions anywhere in the country. The fact that California’s “civic health” mirrors, and occasionally surpasses, national engagement numbers demonstrates how much the state’s residents have responded to historically challenging times.

A Closer Look: Great Consistency- Across Income, Education, Ethnicity- in Decreased Participation • Who is Volunteering and Engaging in California?

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