Index: Participation and Civic Engagement

The Living Library Index – inspired by the Harper’s Index – provides important statistics and highlights global trends in governance innovation. This installment focuses on participation and civic engagement and was originally published in 2013.

• Percent turnout of voting age population in 2012 U.S. Presidential election: 57.5
• Percent turnout in 2008, 2004, 2000 elections: 62.3, 60.4, 54.2
• Change in voting rate in U.S. from 1980 to most recent election: –29
• Change in voting rate in Slovak Republic from 1980 to most recent election: –42, the lowest rate among democratic countries surveyed
• Change in voting rate in Russian Federation from 1980 to most recent election: +14, the highest rate among democratic countries surveyed
• Percent turnout in Australia as of 2011: 95, the highest rate among democratic countries surveyed
• Percentage point difference in voting rates between high and low educated people in Australia as of 2011: 1
• Percentage point difference in voting rates between high and low educated people in the U.S. as of 2011:  33
• Number of Black and Hispanic U.S. voters in comparison to 2008 election: 1.7 million and 1.4 million increase
• Number of non-Hispanic White U.S. voters in comparison to 2008 election: 2 million decrease, the only example of a race group showing a decrease in net voting from one presidential election to the next
• Percent of Americans that contact their elected officials between elections: 10
• Margin of victory in May 2013 Los Angeles mayoral election: 54-46
• Percent turnout among Los Angeles citizens in May 2013 Los Angeles mayoral election: 19
• Percent of U.S. adults that used social networking sites in 2012: 60
• How many of which participated in a political or civic activity online: 2/3
• Percent of U.S. social media users in 2012 that used social tools to encourage other people to take action on an issue that is important to them: 31
• Percent of U.S. adults that belonged to a group on a social networking site involved in advancing a political or social issue in 2012: 12
• Increase in the number of adults who took part in these behaviors in 2008: four-fold
• Number of U.S. adults that signed up to receive alerts about local issues via email or text messaging in 2010: 1 in 5
• Percent of U.S. adults that used digital tools digital tools to talk to their neighbors and keep informed about community issues in 2010: 20
• Number of Americans that talked face-to-face with neighbors about community issues in 2010: almost half
• How many online adults that have used social tools as blogs, social networking sites, and online video as well as email and text alerts to keep informed about government activities: 1/3
• Percent of U.S. adult internet users that have gone online for raw data about government spending and activities in 2010: 40
• Of which how many look online to see how federal stimulus money is being spent: 1 in 5
• Read or download the text of legislation: 22%
• How many Americans volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2011 and September 2012: 64.5 million
• Median hours spent on volunteer activities during this time: 50
• Change in volunteer rate compared to the year before: 0.3 decline

Sources

• Dailey, Lucas, “OpenGov Voices: Open Government is About Raising People’s Opinions.” Sunlight Foundation. July 12, 2013.
• File, Thom, “The Diversifying Electorate—Voting Rates by  Race and Hispanic Origin in 2012.” May 2013.
• Smith, Aaron, “Civic Engagement in the Digital Age.” Pew Internet & American Life Project. April 25, 2013.
• “Volunteering in the United States, 2012.” Bureau of Labor Statistics. February 22, 2013.
• Rainie, Lee, “Social Media and Voting.” Pew Internet & American Life Project. November 6, 2012.
• Rainie Lee, and Aaron Smith, Kay Lehman Schlozman, Henry Brady, Sidney Verba, “Social Media and Political Engaegment.” Pew Internet & American Life Project. October 19, 2012.
• “Society at a Glance 2011: OECD Social Indicators.” OECD iLibrary. Accessed on July 22, 2013.
• Smith, Aaron, “Neighbors Online.” Pew Internet & American Life Project. June 9, 2010.
• Smith, Aaron, “Government Online.” Pew Internet & American Life Project. April 27, 2010.
•  “2012 Voter Turnout.” Bipartisan Policy Center. November 8, 2012.