Get Out the Vote: Cultivating Civic Engagement in Youth and Adults

Civic engagement activities such as voting, volunteering, and community gardening not only advance the public good but also have mental and physical health benefits for individuals who participate.1 2 3 4  Civic engagement is recognized by frameworks, like The Seven Vital Conditions of Health and Well-Being and Healthy People 2030, as central to the advancement of population health and thriving communities. Through the promotion of social cohesion, social trust, and resource sharing,5 civic engagement fosters equitable community building and supports the democratic process.

With the upcoming election quickly approaching, we aimed to better understand civic engagement and the key policy issues prioritized by adults and adolescents. This brief reports data from a nationally representative poll among 2,201 U.S. adults conducted in August 2024 by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Center for Health Justice. To incorporate the perspective of younger people, we complement the adult information with responses from an open-ended survey of 14- to 17-year-olds (n=128) conducted in partnership with MyVoice. 

Levels of Civic Engagement

More than half (53%) of adults reported being civically engaged during the past two years. Overall, there was no change in civic engagement from 2022 to 2024, except for the baby boomer generation, which reported a decrease from 56% to 50% (August 2022 civic engagement poll). Adults with high income, defined as more than or equal to $100,000 annually (69%), more years of education (bachelor’s or postgraduate degree; 58% and 67%, respectively), and liberal ideologies (64%) were the most likely subpopulations to be civically engaged (Supplemental Table 1). U.S. adults who reported not being civically engaged during the past two years attributed their lack of engagement to not having time or not knowing that their participation would result in a change or outcome (Supplemental Table 2). 
When asked about the intent to participate in specific civic activities over the next six months, compared with participation in these activities over the last two years, respondents reported high future expectations (Figure 1). Adults reported they were “somewhat” or “very likely” to sign petitions, deliberately purchase from a company, and/or donate money to an organization that aligns with their values and/or interests within the next six months. The expected increase in civic engagement activities over the next six months ranged from 21 to 44 percentage points. 

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When individuals ages 14 to 17 were asked about civic engagement, 71% reported being civically engaged and 73% of the engaged specified that their engagement was volunteering. 

We define civic engagement as doing activities that advance the public good, like voting, volunteering, and participating in community activities. Are you civically engaged? 

“Yes, I am civically engaged. I volunteer as regularly as possible, and I participate in community activities. I plant trees for the environment, help at hospitals, and more.” (female, age 16)

 

“I consider myself civically engaged because I volunteer at a community center.” (female, age 14)

“Yes, … once a year I help out at a food pantry and will donate food and clothes.” (male, age 15)

“I am civically engaged. I attend multiple community service events and am involved in many community service clubs. I enjoy volunteering in my spare time. Seeing my work have an impact on the lives of so many people is something that I love.” (female, age 16) 

Voting in the Upcoming Election

Voting is one of the most recognized forms of civic engagement, and 78% of surveyed adults said they plan to vote in the upcoming state and federal elections. The adults most likely to vote in a state or federal election in the next six months were those with high income (at least $100,000; 92%), higher educational attainment (postgraduate degree; 91%), in the baby boomer generation (90%), and either of conservative (84%) or liberal (87%) political ideology. Generation Z adults (57%), those with lower incomes (less than $50,000 annually; 72%), lower educational levels (no college degree; 71%), and ideological moderates (70%) were less likely to vote during the next six months, compared with the overall adult population (Supplemental Table 3). The leading reasons for not planning to vote in the upcoming election were not feeling like their vote mattered (21%), not knowing enough about the candidates (20%), and not liking the candidates (18%) (Figure 2). 

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Among individuals ages 14 to 17, when asked what prevents people their age from being civically engaged, the top three answers were “lack of connectedness or not seeing the value in engagement” (31%), “lack of knowledge or awareness” of civic engagement activities (29%), and not having time to do so (28%). 

What do you think prevents people your age from being civically engaged?

“Some people do not see value in young people and how they can contribute to society, which makes young people feel unwanted and that they shouldn't be civically engaged.” (female, age 16)

“I think a lot of youth have the mindset that it's not important or not worth it because they feel like they can’t make an impact or be able to change anything.” (female, age 17)

“The lack of opportunity/we don't know where to/we don't see any benefits to doing so.” (male, age 14)

“I think that people my age are prevented from being civically engaged because they don't have the time or resources.” (female, age 14)

“I think what prevents people from being civically engaged is that they don’t understand the benefits of helping one another and aren’t educated on the change that they could make.” (female, age 15)

Pressing Issues in the United States

When asked about the most pressing issues facing the United States today, more than half of adults (61%) said inflation/high cost of living was the leading issue, followed by immigration (34%), crime/gun violence (30%), and health care (27%) (Figure 3). By political ideology, the second-most pressing issues were abortion access (liberals; 40%), health care (moderates; 31%), and immigration (conservatives; 59%). Younger generations (both Generation Z and millennials) said crime/gun violence was the second-leading issue (30% and 28%, respectively), while Generation X and baby boomers reported immigration as the second-leading issue (36% and 49%, respectively). Interestingly, there were no statistically significant differences in pressing issues by income level. Overall, the order of pressing issues varied by demographic group, but inflation/high cost of living remained the most pressing issue in the country for all (Supplemental Table 4), similar to findings in a recent NBC News poll of Generation Z.

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We asked a similar question of 14- to 17-year-olds, and they said the most pressing issues that mattered to them were related to their rights (e.g., rights of women, LGBTQIA+ populations, and racial and ethnic groups), the morals and beliefs of the presidential candidate, and the economy (35%, 29%, and 20% of respondents, respectively). 

What issues matter most to you when thinking about who you would vote for in a presidential election?

“Freedom and, more specifically, freedom that is unbiased (i.e., laws that Republicans and Democrats pass based on what [the] said party values/[is] against”). (male, age 17)

“Equality is something that matters the most for me. Immigrants, women, people of different races, and more have suffered in many different ways because they look different. When voting for a presidential election, I would like to ensure that the needs of everyone are met without bias.” (female, age 16)

“… When considering presidential candidates, I think about how they act as a person, how they treat people around them, and the care they put into wanting to protect the people of this country. Only then I can look into policies and regulations that have to do with finances and other such topics. I want a president who fights for the rights of the people and works to protect them.” (female, age 16)

“Women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, who actually cares about the people and not about their own personal agendas.” (nonbinary, age 15)

Positive Impacts on Democracy

In the United States and around the world, certain actions can bolster or undermine the democratic process. We presented a set of actions to the U.S. adult respondents and asked how they felt each would impact democracy. Respondents reported that decreasing misinformation (63%) and banning voter intimidation (61%) would have positive impacts on democracy, while book bans would have the most negative impact (53%). 
Some politicized issues garnered support across political ideologies — for instance, most self-identified liberal, moderate, or conservative adults said expanding polling locations would have a positive impact on democracy, along with implementing formal term limits for elected officials (Figure 4a). This is not to say there weren’t ideological differences on other topics: 73% of liberal adults thought 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices would be positive for democracy, while only 44% of conservative and 48% of moderate adults did (Figure 4b; for other topics, see Supplemental Table 5). 

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A Way Forward

When individuals are civically engaged, democracy is strengthened, which contributes to increasing happiness and satisfaction within communities.6  Not only that, civic engagement is also beneficial for public health.7  Civic engagement drives social change and can thereby improve policies, accountability, and equitable access to resources. 

Our findings show that adults and youth are civically engaged — and are largely eager to become further engaged with their communities, which can have positive impacts on the health and well-being of our nation. Moving forward, it would be important for efforts to focus on reassuring young adults and youth about the value and impact of civic engagement.

The adults who reported that they did not plan to vote in the next six months (25%) largely stated it was because they don’t see how their vote can make a difference. Our polling suggests a way to counter that cynicism. By focusing on solutions supported by individuals of varying ideologies, such as expanding polling locations, implementing formal term limits, or by addressing areas of common concern such as the high cost of living, we can strengthen our democracy, flex our collective civic muscle, and build stronger, healthier communities.