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Civvys emphasize equity and inclusion in selection of 2020 finalists
Jan 14 2021
After a year of record-setting voter turnout, nationwide protests for racial justice and equality, and debate over equitable ballot access, it's time to recognize some of the leading players.
To that end, the organizations behind the American Civic Collaboration Awards — better known as the Civvys — announced the slate of finalists, celebrating the accomplishments of people and groups who led the way in 2020.
<p>As in past years, the fourth annual awards will honor work among local and national groups, as well as a youth category. The awards are organized by Big Tent Nation, the Bridge Alliance Education Fund and the National Conference on Citizenship. (BAEF is a funder of The Fulcrum.)</p><p>"We look to these exemplary nominees for inspiration. For the innovation of a new blueprint to improve our communities and nation through collaboration," said Debilyn Molineaux, president and CEO of the Bridge Alliance. "Additionally, our focus included initiatives and projects that highlighted a more inclusive and equitable approach by citizen-led bridge builders."</p><p>Here are the finalists, which come from a pool 15 percent bigger than the prior year's nominations.</p><p><strong>National: </strong>Braven; Hidden Common Ground and Strange Bedfellows Initiative, Public Agenda; Maria Yuan, Issue Voter; The Civic Responsibility Project; Millennial Action Project; and With the People, coordinated by National Issues Forums Institute.</p><p><p style="text-align: center;" id="sufn"><a style="font-weight: bold;margin:40px auto;font-size:2rem" href="https://thefulcrum.us/st/newsletters">Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter </a></p></p><p><strong>Local: </strong>Akron Civic Commons (Akron, Ohio); Interfaith Council of Metro DC; Pandemic Voting Project, organized by the NAACP and Show Me Integrity (Missouri); SA2020, San Antonio's Shared Community Vision; STL Approves (St. Louis, Mo.); and Tarrant County College Civic Engagement District Work Team (Fort Worth, Texas).</p><p><strong>Youth: </strong>Changeist; The Conversationalist; DoSomething.org's "Our 2020 Vision" campaign; Green Our Planet; KidsVotingDurham; Student PIRGS New Voters project, including specifically nominated Eckerd College, California Student Vote and NAACP Youth and College Division initiatives.</p><p>The winners will be announced at a virtual ceremony in March.</p>
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Sixteen percent of young people said they have volunteered for a political campaign, up from 7 percent in late 2018.
Young people found more ways to engage in politics in 2020
Jan 13 2021
Much has been made of the increase in voter participation among young people in 2020. But the act of casting a ballot represents just one method of civic engagement, and young people significantly increased their participation in other political activities last year.
New data released Tuesday by Tufts University's Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement found that nearly three times as many people ages 18 to 24 said in late 2020 that they have donated to a political campaign or registered others to vote, as compared to 2018. And the percent of young people who volunteered for a political campaign more than doubled in the same time frame.
<p><span></span>CIRCLE'S research team provided The Fulcrum with data comparing six forms of civic engagement for 18-24-year olds. The data is based on post-election polls, and the questions did not specify specific time frames for the engagements, meaning respondents could consider pre-2020 participation.</p>
<p>In addition to the big jumps in volunteering for campaigns, donating to campaigns and registering voters, the youth cohort showed modest increases in their efforts to convince others to vote and discussing political issues with friends.</p>
<p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQ0OTI3NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxODk1ODg0M30.DNeZFPQzARwybGuuDkcwif7JF4FAW1MOwdqXuXkM2qo/img.png?width=980" id="81d14" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9b32226ff6b9cfe9fb279d6b73256dba" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="962" data-height="584">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Source: CIRCLE at Tufts University<a href="https://templates.flourish.studio/1790/qq-ET00UhK6Z_a9iHVC8wSzlnNtjWKzk3KVstczQlBR4Ev0gVafcWcrSbWFhM3LN/?environment=editor&auto=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a></small></p><div style="display: none;"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQ0OTI3NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxODk1ODg0M30.DNeZFPQzARwybGuuDkcwif7JF4FAW1MOwdqXuXkM2qo/img.png?width=980" id="81d14" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6e0456299411cb8c8fb110c05a97afe0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="youth civic engagement in 2020" data-width="962" data-height="584"></div>
<p>One additional engagement, attending a march or demonstration, was compared to data from 2016. Four years ago, 10 percent of young people said they did so. The rate skyrocketed to 31 percent in 2020 — not surprising in a year of protests over racial injustice.<br></p>
<p><p style="text-align: center;" id="sufn"><a style="font-weight: bold;margin:40px auto;font-size:2rem" href="https://thefulcrum.us/st/newsletters">Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter </a></p></p><p>"The 2020 election cycle further cemented the younger generation's capacity to organize and effect change, often based on their shared commitment to racial and environmental justice," said CIRCLE Director Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg.</p>
<p>The most recent data suggests that while young people on both ends of the political spectrum are inclined to find some way to engage in politics, Democrats are generally more positive about the role of their age group. Among people ages 18 to 29, nearly 90 percent of those who voted for Joe Biden said their generation should participate in decision making, has a responsibility to do so or has the power to effect change. Among those who voted for Donald Trump, those percentages were in the mid-70s.</p>
<p>"Now that the elections are behind us, young people are poised to seize their power to make change on issues they care about and to strengthen our democracy. They know that their continued engagement is needed now more than ever," said Alan Solomont, dean of Tisch College, which houses the CIRCLE program at Tufts.</p>
<p><div class="x12"><div class="htlad-Desktop_Content_Banner"></div></div></p><p>The 2020 survey was conducted by Gallup for CIRCLE. In 2016 and 2018, the program used the polling firm GfK.</p>
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Congress Receives Electoral College Votes
Dec 02 2020
The House of Representatives and the Senate meet in a joint session to count the electoral votes.