by Jan Goehring
The National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) recently released a report about the civic health of Florida and there is room for improvement. Florida ranks 46th in the nation for overall civic life. The study, prepared by the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship, found that the state is 34th in average voter turnout; 49th in the percentage of its citizens who volunteered; 48th in the percentage of its citizens who attended a public meeting; and 37th in the percentage of its citizens who worked with others to address a community issue.
Survey data indicates that the recession has had an impact on citizens' involvement. Participants report that they have reduced their civic participation because of the economy and they believe others have also. There is some good news, however. Those who are already engaged are doing more.
The report suggests a number of activities that can improve citizen engagement. These include education, cross-generational activities, social networks and internet technologies.
The NCoC will be releasing civic health indexes for California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Ohio in the coming weeks. All will be featured on the NCoC website.
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