RSSLatest Research
Immigration and the 2012 Election
A new CIRCLE fact sheet uses post-election youth polling to examine young people’s views of immigration reform and how youth with recent immigrant backgrounds participated in the 2012 election. Only a relatively small portion of young Americans rated immigration as their top issue in the 2012 election, yet those young people overwhelmingly favored creating paths Read More >
“Millennials” Play a Central Role in our Nation’s Civic Health, but Who are They?
Major New Study Provides In-Depth Insight on Diverse Engagement of a Generation Washington, DC– The Millennials Civic Health Index, released today by four of the top civic organizations in the country, paints a comprehensive picture of young Americans 18 to 29. The study challenges commonly held beliefs about a generation of young Americans whose votes Read More >
New Book: Melissa Bass, The Politics and Civics of National Service: Lessons from the Civilian Conversation Corps, VISTA, and AmeriCorps
Melissa Bass has published The Politics and Civics of National Service: Lessons from the Civilian Conversation Corps, VISTA, and AmeriCorps (Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2013). This book originated with a CIRCLE grant and two CIRCLE Working Papers (numbers 11 and 12). It is a great achievement and truly essential reading for anyone who is Read More >
High School Civic Education Linked to Voting Participation and Political Knowledge, No Effect on Partisanship or Candidate Selection
Most Young Voters Knew the Candidates’ Issue Positions MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, MA – A large, national survey of young Americans released today shows that most young adults who voted in 2012 could choose an issue that was important to them and knew where the candidates stood on at least one (of two) relevant policies. Young Obama and Read More >
What the NAEP Civics Assessment Measures and How Students Perform
Only eight states currently test their students on American government or civics (usually as part of a much broader social studies test), and so relatively little is known about young people’s civic knowledge, skills, behaviors, and values. Given the paucity of state data, the federal National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Civics receives predominant Read More >