Executive SummaryOhio Civic Health Index Report 2009November 10, 2009
Downloads Ohio ranks 24th in the nation in its 2009 civic health index score. This index is compiled from U.S. Census Bureau data on volunteering, collaborative problem solving, voting, and participation in local governance. Ohio is near the middle of the list of 50 states and the District of Columbia on each of these indicators, and maintained the same relative state ranking it had in 2008. Key Finding 1: The economy is reshaping civic engagement. According to our survey, Ohioans have been hard hit by the current recession. 40% of households had trouble affording essentials, such as food or medicine 30% of households had suffered a job loss by one of its members 14% of households reported mortgage problems or lost a home to foreclosure While the economy shrank, many Ohioans turned inward, volunteered less, and helped closer to home as a result of the current recession. 80% cut back on time spent volunteering, participating in groups, and other civic activities This does not mean four-fifths of our citizens have stopped participating; it means they are participating less, and thus our overall civic capacity has significantly decreased. In light of the hard economic times, we investigated and discovered more personal forms of engagement. In the past year: 49% gave food or money to a non-relative (48% to a relative; 6% to both relatives and non-relatives) 11% allowed a non-relative to live with them (16% to a relative; 6% to both relatives and non-relatives) These forms of engagement need to be explored further alongside more traditional forms of engagement. Prospective expectations about political activity by respondents in our 2008 survey did not live up to the actual behavior retrospectively reported by Ohioans in our 2009 survey. Our 2008 survey found 41 percent expected to be involved after the presidential election in some way, but only 30 percent of the population actually continued their political engagement in 2009. Key Finding 2: Demographic groups are responding differently to the economic downturn. To better understand the impact of the recession on individual behavior, we investigated the effects of several demographic characteristics. In the Report, we expand on findings that illuminate the ways that Ohioans from different walks of life reported being civically engaged: • Younger generations are volunteering more than older generations • Older Ohioans may be shifting more to private forms of helping • Low-income and less-educated individuals, two groups in society adversely impacted by the recession, serve in less traditional, more personal, ways • African-American are generous in helping others with shelter, food and money, and voice optimism about the willingness of others to help those in need • Increasing numbers of Baby Boomers are pinched by deteriorating economic conditions, and the need to provide support for both their aging parents and their financially strapped children Key Finding 3: Ohioans support proposals for civic renewal. Many Ohioans are willing to do their part to help others through the current economic slump: for example, they are willing to buy U.S. products, give food, and give money (71%, 69% and 40% “very” or “somewhat” willing, respectively). Furthermore, Ohioans are supportive of government or private sector incentives and policies to enhance civic engagement. Paid time off, tax breaks, and winning gifts and rewards are the most popular workplace incentives (26%, 25%, and 22% favor respectively) to foster additional civic engagement. Majorities, usually substantial, favored a battery of policy initiatives to institutionalize civic engagement; proposals supported by respondents include college tuition money in exchange for a year of national or community service, service learning courses in high school, and a national deliberation on important public issues. Key Finding 4: Confidence in major public institutions and private sector actors is low. Ohioans are not only skeptical about the integrity of government but also about other major private sector financial actors. Government trust continues to erode while the decline of the trust in banks and financial institutions is undoubtedly related to the economic climate. Although far from an endorsement, Ohioans express the most confidence in small businesses, the science community and organized religion (36%, 25% and 19% respectively). 6% Banks and financial institutions 5% Major companies 4% Congress 4% Executive Branch We hope the 2009 Ohio Civic Health Report: Civic Engagement in Hard Economic Times spurs important conversations about civic health in our local communities. While documenting current forms and levels of civic involvement, it also encourages and offers concrete ideas for promoting increased civic engagement. Sustained, meaningful civic engagement is an essential part of community life, and becomes particularly important during tough economic times. METHODOLOGY In May 2009, Knowledge Networks surveyed a total of 3,889 individuals for the National Conference on Citizenship. Participants in the survey were part of Knowledge Networks’ survey panel. Knowledge Networks’ national panel is carefully chosen using random-digit sampling,address-based sampling, and cell-phone based sampling to minimize potential biases. Knowledge Networks’ panel also includes households that do not have Internet connection by providing connection and necessary equipment to those who do not have Internet at home (19.3% of the national sample). For the National Report, 1,518 nationally representative respondents completed the survey on the Internet. Knowledge Networks also surveyed 2,371 additional respondents, i.e., oversamples, in California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Ohio separately from the national sample. The Ohio results are based on 421 respondents (348 in the Ohio oversample, plus 73 more in the national sample) appropriately weighted. The national results reported reflect the full national sample of 3,889 respondents, appropriately weighted. The Ohio sample has a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points. The National sample has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percent. For subgroups, the margin of error is larger. Continue Reading If you like this kind of content, sign up for an NCoC.net account and we'll customize your homepage recommendations based on your interests..
|
Recently Popular Tags
Baby Boomers
Business
Charitable Donations
Citizenship
Civic Engagement
Civic Health
Civic Learning
Deliberative Democracy
eCitizenship
Economy
Education
Elections
Expressing Political Views
Family & Friends
Gender
Generations
GenX
Government
Military
Millennials
Participating in Politics
Philanthropy
Policy
Political Involvement
Politics
Public Policy
Race
Religion
Service
Service-Learning
Social Entrepreneurship
Staying Informed
Trust
Understanding Politics & Government
Volunteering
Voting
|
||
| 202.955.6183 | conference@ncoc.net 1201 15th Street NW • Suite 420 • Washington, DC 20005 Copyright © 2000-2013 The National Conference on Citizenship. All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy | Glossary of Terms |
Follow Us on:    |
||
