Why is civic participation in local government important? How can people increase their civic participation? Write one or two paragraphs explaining why civic participation is important, especially in local governments. Be sure to describe at least three ways people can increase their civic participation.

anwser: If civic engagement seems like a broad term, it is. Civic engagement includes such constructs as civic action, civic skills, social cohesion, and civic commitment. By broadening the definition, one can see how civic engagement includes community volunteerism (civic action), employee recruitment and retention (civic skills), cultural awareness, diversity and inclusion programming (social cohesion), community improvement participation, and even voting (civic commitment).

Further refining the definition of civic engagement to something more tangible, it must include such concepts as knowledge sharing, the values that define a community, open dialogue, and the democratic process of debating, lobbying, and voting. Citizens who are engaged in the progress of their community realize that every vote does count, and that they, their family, and their home are part of a broad social fabric and that they have the power to be part of collective efforts to improve the public good. This type of individual and collective awareness is critical for the success of any community.

For cities, counties, villages, towns, and other municipalities, fostering a sense of civic engagement means encouraging residents to be morally and civically responsible members of the community. It means encouraging idea sharing, participation in community improvement projects, and even reporting broken streetlights and down tree branches to local leaders—all because residents care about their quality of life and see their community as a vital component of that life.

voter turnout, 2006-2012