By Diana Ornitz
Making citizens active members of their communities through volunteerism and civic education are the best ways to restore faith in state and federal governments, say two reports on civic spirit in the U.S.
More engagement by churches, corporations, foundations, the media, public officials and individuals would lead to increased activism and revitalized communities, suggests A Nation of Spectators, a report prepared by the National Commission on Civic Renewal. The commission, a bipartisan group of officials including retired U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn and former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett, compiled the report with support from the Pew Charitable Trusts.
The second study, Governing America: Our Choices, Our Challenge, summarizes the views of more than 1,400 people who participated in local discussions across the nation as part of the National Issues Forum meetings held each year. It was prepared for the Kettering Foundation by a nonpartisan researching firm.
Taking personal responsibility for community problems by volunteering and making charitable contributions boosts citizens' feelings of empowerment and involvement, the National Commission on Civic Renewal's report says.
The report cites examples of how citizens across the country have been encouraged to take part in their communities. For example, a Seattle program sets aside public funds for community projects only if the neighborhoods match the sum with donated time, work, materials or money. A collection of religious institutions in New Haven, Conn., successfully lobbied for laws banning liquor stores within 500 feet of schools.
The commission's report concludes that these types of grassroots efforts, rather than national efforts, can help restore citizen confidence in both the American government and its leaders.
The central role of money in politics was identified as a barrier to greater citizen involvement, says John Doble, president of the research firm that compiled the Governing America study.
"The overall feeling from people was that big campaign contributors in both political parties are more likely to get their own interests met rather than the public's as a whole," Doble says.
Reducing the role of money in political campaigns by limiting campaign spending and giving candidates free television time topped the Governing America list of participant suggestions to restore civic faith. Participants also suggested greater privatization of some government services.
"One of the things that was surprising was that people didn't talk about solutions in ideological terms," says Damon Higgins, vice president of the Governing America research group. "They discussed solutions to specific local issues - for example, trash collection - can we privatize it or not? That's the way they approached it and they would have kept going that way if time allowed."
The commission's report states: "This idea - citizens freely working together - is at the heart of the American conception of civic liberty, through which citizens take responsibility for improving the condition of their lives. Civic liberty offers citizens the power to act, and it strengthens their conviction that they can make a difference."
Members of the commission will create four task forces to prepare annual reports on civic health, encourage school-based civic education programs, and form partnerships with the media to improve coverage and inspire individuals and organizations to follow their lead.
To obtain a copy of the Governing America report, contact the Kettering Foundation at (937) 434-7300. The National Commission on Civic Renewal report can be requested at (301) 405-2790 or be found online.
Diana Ornitz can be reached at
dornitz@yahoo.com
