英文原文
Get Out the Vote: Cultivating Civic Engagement in Youth and Adults
By Kendal Orgera, MPH, MPP, Izabelle Mendez, MS, Health Equity Research Analyst; Carla S. Alvarado, PhD, MPH, Director of Research; and Philip M. Alberti, PhD, Founding Director
Oct. 29, 2024
Highlights
* While ideological divides exist, there are many areas of agreement on actions that would positively impact democracy, such as decreasing misinformation in the media (75% of liberals, 61% of moderates, and 65% of conservatives) and expanding voting locations (80%, 58%, and 59%, respectively).
* More than half (53%) of adults reported being civically engaged during the past two years, and most (78%) adults plan to vote in the upcoming state/federal elections.
* Most individuals ages 14 to 17 say they are civically engaged (71%). They share that a lack of “connectedness,” “knowledge,” and “time” may act as barriers that prevent people their age from participating in civic engagement activities.
* Across ideologies most adults agree that inflation/high cost of living is the most pressing issue in the United States today, but the second most important issue varies.
Civic engagement activities such as voting, volunteering, and community gardening not only advance the public good but also have mental and physical health benefits for individuals who participate. Civic engagement is recognized by frameworks, like The Seven Vital Conditions of Health and Well-Being and Healthy People 2030, as central to the advancement of population health and thriving communities. Through the promotion of social cohesion, social trust, and resource sharing, civic engagement fosters equitable community building and supports the democratic process.
With the upcoming election quickly approaching, we aimed to better understand civic engagement and the key policy issues prioritized by adults and adolescents. This brief reports data from a nationally representative poll among 2,201 U.S. adults conducted in August 2024 by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Center for Health Justice. To incorporate the perspective of younger people, we complement the adult information with responses from an open-ended survey of 14- to 17-year-olds (n=128) conducted in partnership with MyVoice.
Levels of Civic Engagement
More than half (53%) of adults reported being civically engaged during the past two years. Overall, there was no change in civic engagement from 2022 to 2024, except for the baby boomer generation, which reported a decrease from 56% to 50% (August 2022 civic engagement poll). Adults with high income, defined as more than or equal to $100,000 annually (69%), more years of education (bachelor’s or postgraduate degree; 58% and 67%, respectively), and liberal ideologies (64%) were the most likely subpopulations to be civically engaged. U.S. adults who reported not being civically engaged during the past two years attributed their lack of engagement to not having time or not knowing that their participation would result in a change or outcome. When asked about the intent to participate in specific civic activities over the next six months, compared with participation in these activities over the last two years, respondents reported high future expectations. Adults reported they were “somewhat” or “very likely” to sign petitions, deliberately purchase from a company, and/or donate money to an organization that aligns with their values and/or interests within the next six months. The expected increase in civic engagement activities over the next six months ranged from 21 to 44 percentage points.
When individuals ages 14 to 17 were asked about civic engagement, 71% reported being civically engaged and 73% of the engaged specified that their engagement was volunteering.
We define civic engagement as doing activities that advance the public good, like voting, volunteering, and participating in community activities. Are you civically engaged?
“Yes, I am civically engaged. I volunteer as regularly as possible, and I participate in community activities. I plant trees for the environment, help at hospitals, and more.” (female, age 16)
“I consider myself civically engaged because I volunteer at a community center.” (female, age 14)
“Yes, ... once a year I help out at a food pantry and will donate food and clothes.” (male, age 15)
“I am civically engaged. I attend multiple community service events and am involved in many community service clubs. I enjoy volunteering in my spare time. Seeing my work have an impact on the lives of so many people is something that I love.” (female, age 16)
Voting in the Upcoming Election
Voting is one of the most recognized forms of civic engagement, and 78% of surveyed adults said they plan to vote in the upcoming state and federal elections. The adults most likely to vote in a state or federal election in the next six months were those with high income (at least $100,000; 92%), higher educational attainment (postgraduate degree; 91%), in the baby boomer generation (90%), and either of conservative (84%) or liberal (87%) political ideology. Generation Z adults (57%), those with lower incomes (less than $50,000 annually; 72%), lower educational levels (no college degree; 71%), and ideological moderates (70%) were less likely to vote during the next six months, compared with the overall adult population. The leading reasons for not planning to vote in the upcoming election were not feeling like their vote mattered (21%), not knowing enough about the candidates (20%), and not liking the candidates (18%).
Among individuals ages 14 to 17, when asked what prevents people their age from being civically engaged, the top three answers were “lack of connectedness or not seeing the value in engagement” (31%), “lack of knowledge or awareness” of civic engagement activities (29%), and not having time to do so (28%).
What do you think prevents people your age from being civically engaged?
“Some people do not see value in young people and how they can contribute to society, which makes young people feel unwanted and that they shouldn't be civically engaged.” (female, age 16)
“I think a lot of youth have the mindset that it's not important or not worth it because they feel like they can’t make an impact or be able to change anything.” (female, age 17)
“The lack of opportunity/we don't know where to/we don't see any benefits to doing so.” (male, age 14)
“I think that people my age are prevented from being civically engaged because they don't have the time or resources.” (female, age 14)
“I think what prevents people from being civically engaged is that they don’t understand the benefits of helping one another and aren’t educated on the change that they could make.” (female, age 15)
Pressing Issues in the United States
When asked about the most pressing issues facing the United States today, more than half of adults (61%) said inflation/high cost of living was the leading issue, followed by immigration (34%), crime/gun violence (30%), and health care (27%). By political ideology, the second-most pressing issues were abortion access (liberals; 40%), health care (moderates; 31%), and immigration (conservatives; 59%). Younger generations (both Generation Z and millennials) said crime/gun violence was the second-leading issue (30% and 28%, respectively), while Generation X and baby boomers reported immigration as the second-leading issue (36% and 49%, respectively). Interestingly, there were no statistically significant differences in pressing issues by income level. Overall, the order of pressing issues varied by demographic group, but inflation/high cost of living remained the most pressing issue in the country for all, similar to findings in a recent NBC News poll of Generation Z.
We asked a similar question of 14- to 17-year-olds, and they said the most pressing issues that mattered to them were related to their rights (e.g., rights of women, LGBTQIA+ populations, and racial and ethnic groups), the morals and beliefs of the presidential candidate, and the economy (35%, 29%, and 20% of respondents, respectively).
What issues matter most to you when thinking about who you would vote for in a presidential election?
“Freedom and, more specifically, freedom that is unbiased (i.e., laws that Republicans and Democrats pass based on what [the] said party values/[is] against”). (male, age 17)
“Equality is something that matters the most for me. Immigrants, women, people of different races, and more have suffered in many different ways because they look different. When voting for a presidential election, I would like to ensure that the needs of everyone are met without bias.” (female, age 16)
“... When considering presidential candidates, I think about how they act as a person, how they treat people around them, and the care they put into wanting to protect the people of this country. Only then I can look into policies and regulations that have to do with finances and other such topics. I want a president who fights for the rights of the people and works to protect them.” (female, age 16)
“Women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, who actually cares about the people and not about their own personal agendas.” (nonbinary, age 15)
Positive Impacts on Democracy
In the United States and around the world, certain actions can bolster or undermine the democratic process. We presented a set of actions to the U.S. adult respondents and asked how they felt each would impact democracy. Respondents reported that decreasing misinformation (63%) and banning voter intimidation (61%) would have positive impacts on democracy, while book bans would have the most negative impact (53%). Some politicized issues garnered support across political ideologies — for instance, most self-identified liberal, moderate, or conservative adults said expanding polling locations would have a positive impact on democracy, along with implementing formal term limits for elected officials. This is not to say there weren’t ideological differences on other topics: 73% of liberal adults thought 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices would be positive for democracy, while only 44% of conservative and 48% of moderate adults did.
A Way Forward
When individuals are civically engaged, democracy is strengthened, which contributes to increasing happiness and satisfaction within communities. Not only that, civic engagement is also beneficial for public health. Civic engagement drives social change and can thereby improve policies, accountability, and equitable access to resources.
Our findings show that adults and youth are civically engaged — and are largely eager to become further engaged with their communities, which can have positive impacts on the health and well-being of our nation. Moving forward, it would be important for efforts to focus on reassuring young adults and youth about the value and impact of civic engagement.
The adults who reported that they did not plan to vote in the next six months (25%) largely stated it was because they don’t see how their vote can make a difference. Our polling suggests a way to counter that cynicism. By focusing on solutions supported by individuals of varying ideologies, such as expanding polling locations, implementing formal term limits, or by addressing areas of common concern such as the high cost of living, we can strengthen our democracy, flex our collective civic muscle, and build stronger, healthier communities.
中文翻译
动员投票：培养青年与成人的公民参与
作者：Kendal Orgera, MPH, MPP, Izabelle Mendez, MS, 健康公平研究分析师；Carla S. Alvarado, PhD, MPH, 研究主任；和 Philip M. Alberti, PhD, 创始主任
2024年10月29日
亮点
* 尽管存在意识形态分歧，但在许多行动上存在共识，这些行动将对民主产生积极影响，例如减少媒体中的错误信息（自由派75%，温和派61%，保守派65%）和扩大投票地点（分别为80%、58%和59%）。
* 超过一半（53%）的成年人报告在过去两年中参与了公民活动，大多数（78%）成年人计划在即将到来的州/联邦选举中投票。
* 大多数14至17岁的个体表示他们参与了公民活动（71%）。他们分享说，“缺乏联系”、“知识”和“时间”可能是阻碍同龄人参与公民活动的障碍。
* 跨意识形态的大多数成年人同意通货膨胀/高生活成本是当今美国最紧迫的问题，但第二重要的问题各不相同。
公民参与活动，如投票、志愿服务和社区园艺，不仅促进公共利益，还对参与者的心理和身体健康有益。公民参与被框架（如《健康与福祉的七个关键条件》和《健康人民2030》）认为是促进人口健康和繁荣社区的核心。通过促进社会凝聚力、社会信任和资源共享，公民参与促进公平的社区建设并支持民主进程。
随着即将到来的选举迅速临近，我们旨在更好地理解公民参与以及成年人和青少年优先考虑的关键政策问题。本简报报告了由美国医学院协会（AAMC）健康正义中心于2024年8月进行的一项全国代表性调查数据，涉及2,201名美国成年人。为了纳入年轻人的视角，我们补充了与MyVoice合作进行的14至17岁青少年（n=128）开放式调查的回应。
公民参与水平
超过一半（53%）的成年人报告在过去两年中参与了公民活动。总体而言，从2022年到2024年，公民参与没有变化，除了婴儿潮一代，其报告从56%下降到50%（2022年8月公民参与调查）。高收入（定义为每年超过或等于100,000美元；69%）、更高教育年限（学士或研究生学位；分别为58%和67%）和自由派意识形态（64%）的成年人是最可能参与公民活动的亚群体。报告在过去两年中未参与公民活动的美国成年人将缺乏参与归因于没有时间或不知道他们的参与会导致改变或结果。当被问及未来六个月参与特定公民活动的意图时，与过去两年参与这些活动相比，受访者报告了高未来期望。成年人报告他们“有些”或“非常可能”在未来六个月内签署请愿书、刻意从符合其价值观和/或兴趣的公司购买商品和/或向组织捐款。未来六个月公民参与活动的预期增长范围从21到44个百分点。
当被问及公民参与时，14至17岁的个体中71%报告参与了公民活动，其中73%的参与者指定他们的参与是志愿服务。
我们将公民参与定义为促进公共利益的活动，如投票、志愿服务和参与社区活动。你参与公民活动吗？
“是的，我参与公民活动。我尽可能定期志愿服务，并参与社区活动。我为环境植树，在医院帮忙，等等。”（女性，16岁）
“我认为自己参与了公民活动，因为我在社区中心志愿服务。”（女性，14岁）
“是的，……每年一次我在食品储藏室帮忙，并捐赠食物和衣服。”（男性，15岁）
“我参与公民活动。我参加多个社区服务活动，并参与许多社区服务俱乐部。我喜欢在空闲时间志愿服务。看到我的工作对这么多人的生活产生影响是我喜欢的事情。”（女性，16岁）
即将到来的选举投票
投票是最公认的公民参与形式之一，78%的受访成年人表示他们计划在即将到来的州和联邦选举中投票。未来六个月最可能在州或联邦选举中投票的成年人是那些高收入（至少100,000美元；92%）、更高教育成就（研究生学位；91%）、婴儿潮一代（90%）以及保守派（84%）或自由派（87%）政治意识形态的人。Z世代成年人（57%）、低收入者（每年少于50,000美元；72%）、低教育水平（无大学学位；71%）和意识形态温和派（70%）与总体成年人口相比，未来六个月投票的可能性较低。不计划在即将到来的选举中投票的主要原因是感觉自己的投票不重要（21%）、对候选人了解不足（20%）以及不喜欢候选人（18%）。
在14至17岁的个体中，当被问及什么阻碍同龄人参与公民活动时，前三个答案是“缺乏联系或看不到参与的价值”（31%）、“缺乏公民参与活动的知识或意识”（29%）以及没有时间这样做（28%）。
你认为什么阻碍你同龄人参与公民活动？
“有些人看不到年轻人的价值以及他们如何为社会做出贡献，这让年轻人感到不受欢迎，认为他们不应该参与公民活动。”（女性，16岁）
“我认为很多年轻人有心态认为这不重要或不值得，因为他们觉得自己无法产生影响或改变任何事情。”（女性，17岁）
“缺乏机会/我们不知道去哪里/我们看不到任何好处。”（男性，14岁）
“我认为我同龄人被阻止参与公民活动是因为他们没有时间或资源。”（女性，14岁）
“我认为阻碍人们参与公民活动的是他们不理解互相帮助的好处，也没有被教育他们可以做出的改变。”（女性，15岁）
美国的紧迫问题
当被问及当今美国面临的最紧迫问题时，超过一半的成年人（61%）表示通货膨胀/高生活成本是首要问题，其次是移民（34%）、犯罪/枪支暴力（30%）和医疗保健（27%）。按政治意识形态，第二紧迫的问题是堕胎权（自由派；40%）、医疗保健（温和派；31%）和移民（保守派；59%）。年轻一代（Z世代和千禧一代）表示犯罪/枪支暴力是第二重要问题（分别为30%和28%），而X世代和婴儿潮一代报告移民是第二重要问题（分别为36%和49%）。有趣的是，按收入水平，紧迫问题没有统计学显著差异。总体而言，紧迫问题的顺序因人口群体而异，但通货膨胀/高生活成本对所有群体来说仍然是该国最紧迫的问题，类似于最近NBC新闻对Z世代的调查结果。
我们对14至17岁的青少年问了类似的问题，他们表示对他们最重要的紧迫问题与他们的权利相关（例如，妇女、LGBTQIA+群体以及种族和族裔群体的权利），总统候选人的道德和信仰，以及经济（分别为35%、29%和20%的受访者）。
在考虑总统选举投票时，什么问题对你最重要？
“自由，更具体地说，是无偏见的自由（即，共和党和民主党基于该党价值观/反对什么通过的法律）。”（男性，17岁）
“平等对我来说最重要。移民、妇女、不同种族的人等因为看起来不同而在许多方面受苦。在投票总统选举时，我希望确保每个人的需求得到满足，没有偏见。”（女性，16岁）
“……在考虑总统候选人时，我考虑他们作为一个人如何行事，如何对待周围的人，以及他们为保护这个国家的人民所付出的关心。只有这样我才能研究与财务和其他此类主题相关的政策和法规。我想要一个为人民的权利而战并努力保护他们的总统。”（女性，16岁）
“妇女权利，LGBTQ权利，真正关心人民而不是个人议程的人。”（非二元性别，15岁）
对民主的积极影响
在美国和世界各地，某些行动可以加强或削弱民主进程。我们向美国成年受访者展示了一系列行动，并询问他们认为每个行动如何影响民主。受访者报告减少错误信息（63%）和禁止选民恐吓（61%）将对民主产生积极影响，而禁书将产生最负面的影响（53%）。一些政治化问题获得了跨政治意识形态的支持——例如，大多数自认为自由派、温和派或保守派的成年人表示扩大投票地点将对民主产生积极影响，以及实施正式任期限制。这并不是说在其他话题上没有意识形态差异：73%的自由派成年人认为最高法院法官的18年任期限制对民主有利，而只有44%的保守派和48%的温和派成年人这样认为。
前进之路
当个体参与公民活动时，民主得到加强，这有助于增加社区内的幸福感和满意度。不仅如此，公民参与也有益于公共健康。公民参与推动社会变革，从而改善政策、问责制和公平获取资源。
我们的发现显示，成年人和青少年参与了公民活动——并且大多渴望进一步参与社区，这可能对我们国家的健康和福祉产生积极影响。向前迈进，重要的是努力专注于向年轻成年人和青少年保证公民参与的价值和影响。
报告不计划在未来六个月投票的成年人（25%）大多表示这是因为他们看不到自己的投票如何能产生影响。我们的调查提出了一种对抗这种愤世嫉俗的方法。通过专注于得到不同意识形态个体支持的解决方案，例如扩大投票地点、实施正式任期限制，或通过解决共同关注的领域，如高生活成本，我们可以加强我们的民主，发挥我们集体的公民力量，并建设更强大、更健康的社区。
文章概要
本文基于2024年美国医学院协会健康正义中心的调查数据，探讨了成年人和青少年在公民参与方面的现状、挑战和前景。文章指出，超过一半的成年人报告在过去两年中参与了公民活动，78%计划在即将到来的选举中投票，而青少年中71%表示参与公民活动，主要形式是志愿服务。文章强调了公民参与对民主、公共健康和社区福祉的积极影响，并分析了阻碍参与的因素，如缺乏联系、知识和时间。文章还讨论了不同意识形态群体在紧迫问题上的共识和分歧，例如通货膨胀是共同最关注的问题，但第二重要问题因群体而异。文章最后呼吁通过扩大投票地点、实施任期限制等措施来增强民主和公民参与。
高德明老师的评价
用12岁初中生可以听懂的语音来重复翻译的内容
这篇文章讲的是大人和青少年怎么参与社会活动，比如投票、做志愿者和帮助社区。研究发现，超过一半的大人最近两年做过这些事，很多大人打算在选举中投票，而青少年中也有很多人喜欢做志愿者。文章说，做这些事不仅能让社会更好，还能让大家更健康和快乐。但有些人觉得没时间、不知道怎么做，或者觉得自己的努力没用，所以不参加。文章建议，通过增加投票地点、限制官员任期等方式，可以让更多人参与进来，让社会更公平和强大。
TA沟通分析心理学理论评价
从TA沟通分析心理学理论来看，这篇文章展示了成人自我状态在政治投票和公民参与中的重要作用。成人自我状态涉及理性、客观和基于事实的决策，这在公民参与中体现为个体能够评估信息、权衡利弊并做出符合公共利益的行动。例如，文章中提到成年人基于对候选人了解、政策议题的理性分析来决定是否投票，这反映了成人自我状态的运作。同时，文章也揭示了父母自我状态和儿童自我状态的影响：父母自我状态可能表现为对社会规范和责任的遵从（如投票被视为公民义务），而儿童自我状态则可能体现为情感反应，如对候选人的喜好或对参与价值的怀疑。文章强调通过减少错误信息和增加知识来促进参与，这有助于强化成人自我状态，减少儿童自我状态中的负面情绪（如无助感），从而支持更健康的沟通模式。
在实践上可以应用的领域和可以解决人们的十个问题
在实践上，这篇文章的内容可以应用于多个领域，基于TA沟通分析心理学理论，帮助解决人们的以下十个问题：1. 提升公民参与中的理性决策能力，通过成人自我状态减少冲动或情感化投票。2. 增强社区凝聚力，通过促进成人自我状态中的合作和资源共享，减少父母自我状态中的批评或儿童自我状态中的孤立感。3. 改善政治沟通，通过基于事实的讨论（成人自我状态）减少意识形态冲突（父母自我状态中的固执）。4. 支持青少年发展，通过鼓励成人自我状态中的探索和学习，克服儿童自我状态中的不自信或缺乏动力。5. 减少投票障碍，如通过成人自我状态分析时间管理或知识获取策略。6. 促进跨代理解，通过成人自我状态对话减少父母自我状态中的代沟或儿童自我状态中的抗拒。7. 增强公共健康倡议，通过公民参与活动（如志愿服务）培养成人自我状态中的责任感和同理心。8. 解决社会不平等，通过成人自我状态推动公平政策，减少父母自我状态中的偏见。9. 提升民主参与满意度，通过成人自我状态实现个人价值与社会贡献的结合。10. 培养未来领导者，通过青少年公民参与强化成人自我状态中的领导技能和批判性思维。