by MICKEY HEPNER

EDMOND — “We the people,” they are the first three words in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, and they highlight that in this country, in our system of government, that it is the people who have the power. With this power though comes great responsibility to care for, to defend and to engage in our government. So, how are we doing in fulfilling this responsibility to be civically engaged?

Each year the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) — a nonpartisan, Congressionally chartered organization that promotes civic engagement — releases a report called America’s Civic Health Index that tracks many different indicators of civic engagement across the nation. This week the NCoC, in cooperation with the University of Central Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Campus Compact, released the first Oklahoma Civic Health Index (available at www.ncoc.net/ok) that details the level of civic engagement within the Sooner State.

The report, drafted by a research team of faculty, staff and students, finds that there are some areas where Oklahomans outperform the nation when it comes to civic engagement. The report also finds though, that there are some areas where we fall short. The report offers a slew of statistics on a variety of civic engagement activities in Oklahoma. Among the most interesting:

• Ninety-two percent of Oklahomans report eating dinner with family at least a few times per week — the fifth highest percentage in the nation.

• Oklahomans rank 20th nationally in terms of exchanging favors with neighbors a few times each week.

• Oklahomans rank 31st in the number of adults who discuss politics with their friends and family a few times per week.

• Oklahomans rank 19th in the nation for volunteering.

• Oklahomans rank 45th in voter turnout.

Perhaps the most interesting finding though was the strong relationship between educational attainment and civic engagement. Specifically, the report finds that 53.4 percent of college-educated Oklahomans engage in non-political acts of civic engagement, nearly three times the rate of those without a college degree.

Of course, it is logical to think that those with higher levels of educational attainment just might be more interested in civic engagement. However, it also is logical that education itself promotes higher levels of civic engagement. After all, it is through education that we learn about the issues plaguing society. It is through education that we are introduced to different ideas, different cultures and different perspectives. And it is through education that we are shown examples of how our society has solved our most pressing problems in the past.

In short, education matters. Therefore, this report reminds us that a healthy democracy requires an informed citizenry, which in turn requires us to adequately invest in the education of our citizens.

There is one more key lesson to learn from the report. It is true that in the past 103 years Oklahoma has come a long way. That progress was made though, not when Oklahomans were divided, but when they came together. It was the residents of Oklahoma City that came together to approve three MAPS projects to revitalize the city, improve schools and enhance the quality of life for residents. It was the residents of Tulsa who came together to approve Vision 2025 — a plan to enhance business, education, health care and facilities in Tulsa. And, it is organizations like the Oklahoma Academy — the only statewide organization of its type in the nation — that each year brings together more than 100 diverse Oklahomans from across the state to discuss, debate and decide on a set of specific recommendations to address our state’s most pressing needs. In short, Oklahoma works best when Oklahomans work together.

In this era of hyper-partisanship, it is common for people to view their political opponents as their enemies. In reality though, this report shows us that Oklahoma’s real enemy is apathy.

We Oklahomans like to sing about how the “land we belong to is grand” but I would argue that what is truly grand about Oklahoma isn’t its land but its people. We have come a long way these past 103 years. And if we are to go further, if we are going to continue building a better Oklahoma, it’s going to be this Oklahoma spirit, this Oklahoma civic energy, that takes us there.



MICKEY HEPNER is an associate professor of economics at the University of Central Oklahoma. Hepner serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for The Oklahoma Academy. Hepner served on the committee that drafted the Oklahoma Civic Health Index.