Assessing the Relationship Between High School Civic Experiences and Youth Voter Turnout

• In Event: Democratic Citizenship in Education Paper Session 3

Abstract

Past research on civic development in school has identified a number of promising practices for increasing civic knowledge and interest among youth. Specifically, this study examines in-classroom practices including direct civic instruction (taking a civics course) and regular discussion of current events, and out-of-classroom practices including service learning, extracurricular activities, and overall high school democratic climate. Using a liner probability model and multiple regression, this paper assesses nationally representative survey data to explore whether youth who experience these practices are, in turn, more likely to vote in young-adulthood. Results show a positive relationship between taking a civics course and extracurricular participation in high school, and the likelihood of voting as a young adult.

Author

• Kelly Siegel-Stechler, Johns Hopkins University