Engaging Young People in Civic Life

by Youniss, James; Levine, Peter; Hamilton, Lee

• ISBN13: 9780826516503
• ISBN10: 0826516505
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-08-17
• Publisher: Vanderbilt Univ Pr

Summary

The myth of generations of disengaged youth has been shattered by increases in youth turnout in the 2004, 2006, and 2008 primaries. Young Americans are responsive to effective outreach efforts, and this collection addresses how to best provide opportunities for enhancing civic learning and forming lasting civic identities.The thirteen original essays are based on research in schools and in settings beyond the schoolyard where civic life is experienced. One focus is on programs for those schools in poor communities that tend to overlook civic education. Another chapter reports on how two city governments--Hampton, Virginia, and San Francisco—have invited youth to participate on boards and in agencies. A cluster of chapters focuses on the civic education programs in Canada and Western Europe, where, as in the United States, immigration and income inequality raise challenges to civic life.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Policy for Youth Civic Engagement

Youth and Schools

A +Younger Americans Act+: An Old Idea for a New Era

Democracy for Some: The Civic Opportunity Gap in High School

Principles That Promote Discussion of Controversial Political Issues

Political Environments: Neighborhoods and Cities

Policies for Civic Engagement Beyond the Schoolyard

Civic Participation and Development in Urban Adolescents

City Government As Enabler of Youth Civic Engagement: Policy Design and Implications

Local Political Parties and Young Voters: Context, Resources, and Policy Innovation

Policy Models from Other Nations

Youth Electoral Participation in Canada and Scandinavia

Civic Education in Europe: Perspectives from the Netherlands, Belgium, and France

Strengthening Education for Citizenship and Democracy in the UK

Conclusion

The Way Forward

Index

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