Assessing the Impact of Local Politics on Civic Engagement

Abstract

Previous scholarship questions the link between civic education and civic engagement. Some studies find a causal link and other do not. The debate on whether civic education matters is unresolved. Most Introduction to American Government courses focus on the Constitution and federal branches. Students may or may not connect what they learned to what happens in their neighborhoods and communities. A connection to local politics may have an impact on civic engagement. My research question: Does civic engagement increase when students learn and work on local politics? I argue that when students learn and work on local issues, their civic engagement increases.

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