A New Engagement? Political Participation, Civic Life, and the Changing American Citizen

In searching for answers as to why young people differ vastly from their parents and grandparents when it comes to turning out the vote, A New Engagement challenges the conventional wisdom that today's youth is plagued by a severe case of political apathy. In order to understand the current nature of citizen engagement, it is critical to separate political from civic engagement. Using the results from an original set of surveys and the authors' own primary research, they conclude that while older citizens participate by voting, young people engage by volunteering and being active in their communities.

Cliff Zukin is Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at Rutgers University. He is President of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). Scott Keeter is Director of Survey Research at the Pew Research Center in Washington, DC. Molly W. Andolina is Assistant Professor of Political Science at DePaul University. Krista Jenkins is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Michael X. Delli Carpini is Walter H. Annenberg Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.