Pew Partnership for Civic Change

New Survey Dispels Myths on Citizen Engagement

On January 31, 2001, the Pew Partnership for Civic Change released the findings of a national survey on citizen engagement. The study challenges the notion that people are isolated from their neighbors, shun civic activities, and are unwilling to get involved.

Based on interviews conducted with 1,830 adults last fall, the study finds that 77 percent of Americans feel connected to their communities and feel that the quality of life there is excellent or good. A majority (65 percent) are optimistic that their community's best years still lie ahead. The survey also found that 111 million Americans volunteered their time to help solve community problems in the last year, with more than 60 million doing so on a regular basis.

Survey participants listed living-wage jobs and affordable health care as the most urgent needs facing communities today. They are also concerned about the shortage of affordable housing and lack of public transportation options.

The survey also asked people to rank various "problem-solving" institutions to which they turn in their communities. Of the 15 types of institutions listed in the survey, faith-based and other nonprofit organizations ranked at the top, "local government officials" ranked in the middle, and the federal government ranked near the bottom. Planning agencies and planning-oriented civic organizations were not specifically given as options.

The survey represents an opportunity for planners to show that participation in community and regional planning processes is a constructive way to address community problems.