In thinking about the health of a nation, state, or community, some may first think about economic prosperity, or political power, or perhaps (in the case of nations) military might. Some may focus on quality of education, on the physical well–being of residents, or whether there are gaps between different groups.

Civic health is another measure of the well–being of a community, state, or nation.

The United States is founded upon the principle of self rule. The people of the United States are citizens, not subjects. This requires a citizenry that willingly shoulders its basic civic obligations and also works together so that communities can thrive. For over two centuries, the United States has been a land where voluntary associations and their benets to communities are as important (or more so) than government action.

The term “civic health” reects that important participatory aspect of self–rule — that layer of life that is comprised of what we do when we are not just hard at work or alone with family. Using civic health as a lens, we can look at what happens in public life, as we interact with one another, with our communities, and with government.

Beyond being intrinsically good for democracy, civic health has a strong bearing on the life of communities. A community with strong civic health is more resilient when hardship hits, has more effective governance, and is a better place to live. A low level of civic health can lead to dysfunctions in communities that make it harder to address pressing public problems.

Researchers have pointed to a number of useful ways to measure civic health. For the purposes of this report, as is the case for the America's Civic Health Index , we focus on ve broad elements:

• Service and Volunteering: To what extent are citizens stepping forward, engaging in service to and with fellow community members?
• Group Membership and Leadership: To what extent are citizens joining organizations and other groups that meet on a regular basis? How many are stepping forward as leaders of these groups?
• Connecting to Information: To what extent are citizens getting informed, by connecting to news from print, broadcast, and online sources, as well as by talking with neighbors and friends about political issues?
• Social Connectedness: To what extent are citizens inclined to interact with neighbors, working together informally to x things in the community or even just to know one another?
• Political Action: To what extent are citizens voting and taking other political actions beyond voting, such as talking or meeting with office holders, writing letters to the editor for publication in newspapers, or attending rallies or meetings?

Taken together, these elements give a sense of Maryland's civic health.

While individual snapshots of data and rankings against other states and comparisons with national averages are interesting, more important is how the Index changes from year to year. This first report will provide initial data that will be added to in subsequent reports.

Over time, Maryland citizens and leaders can look at how different indicators change over time, how they react to policies and circumstances, and can make decisions about how best to move forward.

It is often said that “what gets measured gets improved.” It is our hope that by measuring Maryland's civic health, we can begin working together to improve it over time and continue to create a state with an exemplary civic fabric and public life.