Civic engagement

Civic engagement is participation in public life through activities such as voting, organizing, public deliberation, and community service. It connects people’s actions to collective decisions and community well-being.

Voting: The act of expressing a choice in an election or other formal decision. Voting lets people influence who governs and which policies are adopted.
Social capital: Resources available through relationships, networks, and shared norms. Trust and networks can help people coordinate civic activity.
Political participation: Actions intended to influence government, public policy, or political outcomes. It overlaps with civic engagement but centers more narrowly on political influence.
Democratic legitimacy: The perceived rightfulness of democratic institutions and their decisions. Broad participation can strengthen acceptance that public decisions reflect the people.
Digital democracy: The use of digital technologies to support democratic discussion, participation, or decision-making. Online tools expand participation while raising questions about access and influence.
Community organizing: The process of building collective power among people to pursue shared goals. It turns local concerns into coordinated public action.
Political efficacy: A person’s belief that they can understand or influence political affairs. Belief in one’s influence shapes whether participation seems worthwhile.
Civic duty: A responsibility associated with membership in a political community. Duty describes an obligation, while engagement describes participation in practice.
Political equality: The principle that people have equal standing and influence in political life. Unequal participation can leave some groups with more influence than others.
Participatory budgeting: A process allowing residents to help decide how part of a public budget is spent. It tests whether direct public input can meaningfully shape resource allocation.

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