NCoC Featured Discussions and Commentary
May 1, 2009
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| Can Facebook Replace Face-to-Face? The 2008 National Conference on Citizenship raised this provocative question with Sean Parker, Founding President of Facebook and Bill Galston of the Brookings Institute. Parker and Galston discussed, and sometimes debated, the impact of the internet on political and civic involvement. Political advisor and internet innovator, Joe Trippi moderated the discussion that delved into the impact of social networks and other online experiences on civic and political involvement. Can Facebook replace face-to-face? Is that even the right question?
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November 14, 2008 |
| Gatekeepers and New MediaDuring the 2008 National Conference on Citizenship, panelists Bill Galston of the Brookings Institution and Sean Parker, Founding President of Facebook, agreed to disagree on the subject of gatekeepers in media. Bill Galston surmised that perhaps, decades ago, newspaper editors may have provided an environment for elevated discourse by deciding what news should or shouldn’t be fodder for public consumption? Were Americans better off several decades ago not knowing all the peccadilloes of their political leaders? Is more information equivalent to better information? Do we need to resurrect the gatekeeper in a high tech information society where every citizen with a cell phone, pocket video camera or other device has the potential for breaking news?
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November 20, 2008 |
Should Service-learning be Mandatory?Recent studies indicate that service-learning can play a major role in keeping students interested in their studies, thus improving attendance rates. In fact, service-learning can positively affect classroom issues ranging from improved behavior, academic performance and help students with leadership skills and self-confidence. Given all that service-learning can do, is it time to push for mandatory service-learning in public schools?
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December 2, 2008 |
Band-Aid or Down PaymentOn January 28, 2009 the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (HR. 1), also known as the economic stimulus plan. The legislation includes $200 million for the Corporation for National and Community Service which supports AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps is to receive $160 million with the remaining $40 million going to the National Service Trust.
We want to hear from you. Is this a down payment on civic engagement or is this merely a Band-Aid? Please read more and leave your comment.
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February 3, 2009 |
In Transparency, We Trust?An NCoC Featured DiscussionIn challenging times punctuated by accusations of wasteful spending, special interests, and corporate greed, individuals are demanding accountability, respect, and trust from the governments and institutions that claim to serve the public interest.
Can putting extra emphasis on transparency bridge the trust gap between government and the public? And what role does public participation play in crossing that divide?
Join the discussion and read commentary from experts from the Sunlight Foundation, Mobilize.org, and the International Journal of Public Participation.
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April 9, 2009 |
A Civic Return on InvestmentWhat’s our bottom line?A Civic ROI evaluation model is intended to encourage the measurement of investments through a lens that recognizes, rewards, and upholds the importance of ensuring that outcomes of investments lead to greater civic vitality, and therefore, healthier communities.
In preparation for the National Conference on Citizenship on September 9, we will be using our featured discussion each month to ask you to weigh in on the concept of Civic ROI—what it is, who should care, why it’s important (or not), how we can begin, and when we will know if we’ve achieved it.
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May 26, 2009 |
Social Media and A New Model of Civic Engagement by Nick Troiano<span style=" ;" >While there remains a vibrant debate over whether social media is creating new activists or just enhancing the tools used by existing ones, it is clear there has been a fundamental change in the way citizens are interacting with each other and through organizations. MyImpact.org co-founder Nick Troiano explains how participants at last week’s Personal Democracy Forum are using new technology to renew civic engagement.
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July 7, 2009 |
The Opportunity Cost of Civic EngagementThe cost of community involvement during a recessionRecent studies have shown interesting and varied levels of correlation between community involvement around the United States and its direct connection to the economy. UCLA sociology professor Jennie Brand writes that when people facing layoffs and unemployment, they are much less inclined to volunteer their time at various social, community, and civic groups. This is not just due to the direct costs associated with being civically engaged, but also due to “embarrassment as a result of downward social mobility,” which leads to decreased social capital and increased isolation.
Which begs the question: In challenging economic times, what are the opportunity costs associated with being civically engaged? Can we afford not to be?
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August 12, 2009 |
Civic Health Index Finds America in the Midst of Civic ForeclosureThe annual America’s Civic Health Index, based on survey data collected in May 2009, is a look at the state of civic engagement in America that reflects the impact of the economic crisis.
The survey’s results reflect the hard choices Americans have made during the downturn, with 72 percent of respondents saying they have cut back on time engaged in civic participation, which includes time spent volunteering, participating in groups or performing other civic activities in their communities.
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August 27, 2009 |
2009 NCoC in ReviewThe 2009 National Conference on Citizenship was held September 9 in the Library of Congress.
Perhaps the most notable difference between the 2009 event and year's past was the proliferation of social media, or Web 2.0 technologies, that allowed the conference discussions to go beyond the walls of the Library of Congress to engage hundreds of individuals across the country. Thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers who staffed our social media stations, our conference more than doubled its attendance by allowing online participation.
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September 14, 2009 |
Paths to 21st Century Competencies Through Civic Education ClassroomsThere is an expectation that students will have mastered an essential skill set by the completion of their education. In an economy that is globally connected and rapidly changing, the required skills are also evolving beyond the basics of mathematics and literacy. The “Paths to 21st Century Competencies Through Civic Education Classrooms” report from the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools illustrates how those students that experienced civic education were better equipped with these essential 21st century competencies than their counterparts who were not exposed to civic education programs.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Army
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December 1, 2009 |
An Inequitable Invitation to CitizenshipNon-College-Bound Youth and Civic EngagementThere has been considerable effort to engage college-bound students in public life, but much less attention has been paid to the 50% of youth that are not on the secondary education track. Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) recently released its report which examines the gap in public and civic involvement between college-bound youth and non-college-bound youth.
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December 8, 2009 |
What’s in a Generation?Are stereotypes being replaced by a society-wide call to do good?Stereotypically, Millennials are characterized as engaged, while their sibiling generation, Generation X is classified as apathetic. But statistically, this engagement gap could be questioned.
Both the generations are calling for increased transparency, accountability, and corporate social responsibility, and each are meeting community needs in their own ways. Does this suggest current engagement rates of both the pre-mid-life generations in America actually demonstrate both a call for public attention and a personal stake in increasing civic health?
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February 16, 2010 |
What is the Role of Big Citizenship in Social Innovation and Change?by Stephen GoldsmithGuest contributor Stephen Goldsmith, co-author of the new book, The Power of Social Innovation, discusses the role of “big citizenship” fostering social innovation that empowers citizens and uplifts communities.
“Big citizenship is not just valuable in its own right, i.e. for our civic health, social capital building, or vibrant democracy. Big citizenship is critical for solving real, seemingly intractable social problems that affect every community and millions of Americans across the country.”
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April 1, 2010 |
Got to have it or got to lack it?What is the role of trust in motivating individuals to organize for change? With our financial and business institutions in uncertain standing, our stocks are not our only societal asset on the decline, so is our public trust.
From town hall meetings to community rallies, online petitions to policy forums, citizen-driven movements are being organized across the country in protest and support of government policy and spending. So what does that mean is the role of trust (or its absence) in catalyzing this action?
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May 11, 2010 |
Is 2010 the new 1517?In a TEDxPotomac talk, Craig Newmark referenced the reformation of the church based on the work of Martin Luther and suggested this decentralization was occurring again, nearly 500 years later, based on the use of social media.
Through the use of social media today, is our political system seeing its own reformation? And can technology be credited with cultivating trust for government among Millennials?
Let us know what you think.
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May 20, 2010 |
Is Corporate Philanthropy the same as stealing?In a Wall Street Journal opinion article, Philosopher Jamie Whyte equates corporate philanthropy to theft. He outlines the implications corporate philanthropy has on shareholders, who are not guaranteed to have a say in how much of and where their company’s philanthropic funds (possibly taken from their dividends) are directed.
Other studies have found corporate philanthropy increases shareholder wealth.
What do you think?
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July 23, 2010 |
Celebrating 90 Years of Women’s Suffrageby Elisabeth MacNamara, League of Women VotersAugust 26th is Women’s Equality Day and which signifies the 90th anniversary of the constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote.
As we approach what could be a pivotal 2010 election, Elisabeth MacNamara, president of the League of Women Voters of the United States, takes a moment to consider the impact the suffrage movement continues to have all these decades later.
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August 26, 2010 |
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