Duty-Based Citizenship, Engaged Citizenship, or Somewhere in the Middle?

Abstract

AbstractVoting is just one aspect of political participation, and one that Millennials do not find especially attractive. This chapter explores forms of more active and costly participation that require a higher level of civic obligation than voting: volunteering, joining local political organizations, and serving in government. The Global Millennial Survey shows that Millennials are especially interested in engaging in activities that can serve their local communities, including joining local political organizations. Moreover, they place a high level of importance on these activities. Additionally, Millennials tend to see themselves as prepared for public office. The results present an encouraging outlook that suggests Millennials will continue to engage with local issues and will not shy away from public service, while the results also point to a need for additional research to examine Millennials’ relatively lower level of interest in voting.