III. Strategies for Civic RenewalOhio Civic Health Index Report 2009November 10, 2009
Downloads Willingness to Help Very small proportions said they would be “very willing” to increase their contributions of money and time or to work with others to change policies. These are classically “civic” responses to a public problem, and judging by 2009 data, there is not much appetite for expanding them. Somewhat higher proportions were very willing to favor US products in their own consumer choices or to give more food—relatively private and personal acts. This graph shows the proportions of people who are “very willing” and “somewhat willing” to do each of these activities. Responses about socially desirable behaviors tend to be inflated in surveys, so readers may wish to use the “very willing” responses as the best measures of openness to engagement. On the other hand, the proportions of people who are “somewhat willing” to take these actions are much higher, which suggests at least some potential for growth. Getting Involved In last year’s Ohio Civic Health Index, a key findings section identified Ohioans’ keen interest in policy changes such as tuition for service, a national deliberation, and service learning as ways to institutionalize civic engagement. Armed with last year’s data and this year’s recognition of the economic impact on Ohioans’ ability to engage in community work, this section highlights strategies for expanding civic engagement. Ohioans’ support for incentives that would foster civic engagement is described in this section. A complex choice exists for Americans everyday in this economic downturn- the choice to support the sense of “rugged individualism” supported in a capitalist, industrial nation or the sense of supporting community and associations that define the America Tocqueville is famed for describing. For each indicator, at least one-third of Ohioans are willing to do the latter, which is to support communities and foster civic engagement. In this report, we looked at incentives people might support to become more involved in their communities. By “incentives,” we mean government or workplace policies that provide people with the extra resources, including time, that some need to become involved in community work. There is little difference between the Ohio and National samples in terms of the percent responding positively to the various incentives. More than one-fourth of Ohioans react positively to paid time off and tax breaks as inducements to become more civically engaged. Ohioans ranked the chance to win gifts or rewards third with educational vouchers and property tax incentives tied for fourth. As expected, the provision of childcare received the least positive response, perhaps because many respondents do not have children or their children are not of an age where they need caregivers. The previous paragraph highlights the comparison between Ohio and National data, but that is not the whole story with regard to incentives. As expected, there are generational differences. In Ohio, the most popular incentives among Seniors were free public transportation (10%) and training for skills (10%) while the youngest group surveyed, Millennials, found educational vouchers (41%) and paid time off (35%) the most attractive. Generation-Xers want paid time off (41%) and tax breaks (38%) and the Baby Boomers selected tax breaks (21%) and winning rewards (19%). These life stage preferences may signal a need to adopt broad, inclusive policies that allow individuals to select which incentive they receive for civic participation. Workplace Engagement According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2008 American Time Use Survey, Americans spend 7.6 hours per workday on the job, whereas leisure time accounts for only 5.4 hours daily. 40 Encouraging and embedding civic engagement in the workplace increases the exposure time individuals have with civic behaviors and potentially could increase the civic skills of those individuals. The following describes the respondents’ evaluations of the most important factors in choosing a career and the jobs they feel would allow them to do the most good. Salary and Job Security Ohioans place a high value on salary, benefits and job security. This survey was conducted in the midst of the current recession and it is not hard to imagine that economic and material considerations were foremost in peoples’ minds. This report has highlighted the impact of hard economic times on our citizens. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that since 2001 (with few quarterly exceptions) Midwest wages and salaries have been below the national average.41 In comparison to good wages and benefits, other employment factors —such as learning opportunities, vacation time, or the public benefits of work — were valued less. Ohioans favor employment in local or small businesses Ohioans favor local or small businesses as places of employment that would allow them to do the most good in society. Again, the National and Ohio samples mirror each other with only small differences of emphasis in terms of which type of employment would result in the most good for society. While the national sample showed a slight preference for working for a non –profit or a socially responsible corporation, Ohioans were more likely to see the most social benefit resulting from working in local and small businesses. According to the United States Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, Ohio had “204,035 small employers in 2006, representing 98.2% of the state’s employers and 48.6% of its private-sector employment” with manufacturing being the largest overall employer.42 The manufacturing sector, especially in urban and industrialized centers of the state, employs many individuals in a variety of small businesses, such as those connected to auto, steel, and paper manufacturing. In many Ohio towns, such as Hamilton or Canton, a handful of locally owned businesses are vitally important to the local economy. The importance of these employers cannot be overlooked in creating opportunities to help citizens to lead meaningful lives. Local and state governments as employment options for doing good similarly highlight the connection Ohioans feel toward institutions they know. Although the survey did not further explore this question, it is likely that when individuals know people who do that particular job or recognize people in the organization, it is easy to connect the good work of those folks to the occupation. Overall, Ohioans signaled that working for an organization with local connections will do more good than something at broader levels. Support for Policy Proposals As this report examined in previous sections, the economy is having a negative impact on Ohioans’ willingness to volunteer and give. While the 2009 survey, compared to the 2008 survey, finds somewhat less support for policies aimed at institutionalizing civic engagement, our data still reflects that the majority of Ohioans back these policy ideas. Government spending on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) rescued the American economy from a possible full-blown depression, but brought the national debt and government spending to the forefront of Americans’ minds. Some of the policies investigated in this section require government spending and some do not. Support for high school service learning, the combination of academic study with community service, holds steady. Ohio Governor Ted Strickland reaffirmed his support for service-learning within Ohio’s schools in his 2009 State of the State Address. Ohio’s citizens agree. Ohio’s citizens support tuition for college or other educational programs in exchange for the completion of community service work. The passage of several key pieces of federal legislation in 2009 created more of these opportunities. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act is intended to increase the number of full-time and part-time national service positions from 75,000 to 250,000 over five years, provide grants to support service-learning in schools, and increase the value of the education awards to national service participants. Despite the reduced support from last year, strong majorities continue to exist in support of these important policy initiatives. 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..
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