By Andy Johnson, Flagler County Special Projects Coordinator
Do citizens in your community, as a whole, understand the functions and mechanisms of your local government?
They should – but I think most of us would agree that they don’t, at least not to the extent needed to promote positive public discourse on important community topics. As administrators and stewards of our communities, we need to address the gap in civic engagement among Generations X, Y, and Z, who are gradually becoming a greater portion of the population, but whose engagement in civic life may be on the decline.
It’s easy to identify the impacts of declining civic education and engagement – low election turnout, misinformation regarding important civic issues, indifference regarding local government, etc. But let’s take a moment to recognize the importance of civic education and engagement, and how improvement in this area can positively impact our communities:
- It promotes broader awareness and deeper understanding of issues facing our communities and solutions proposed to address them.
- It promotes social responsibility – it gets people thinking more about “we” than “I.”
- It forms the basis for economic opportunity – citizens should recognize that local government is a resource at their disposal.
- Finally, it gives newly elected officials an important head start in developing the intimate level of understanding required to address community issues from the dais.
So – what can we, as local government administrators, do to enhance and foster civic education and engagement in our communities? I think we can make substantial progress by following these three steps:
Step 1: Eliminate barriers to civic participation
“Why vote/participate if my opinion doesn’t matter anyway?”
Change the forum! Not every governmental meeting needs to happen at City Hall. Hold some non-business meetings at parks or community centers, or hold community forums in virtual space when possible (some may remember from the 2014 FCCMA Annual Conference that Ft. Lauderdale did this during a recent strategic planning process!). Local government should be operating on the same level as its citizens.
“It’s too difficult/time-consuming to do all the research on local issues.”
Public information and outreach is a tool for administrators. Fairly present the pros and cons of major issues to citizens in common language, using several forms of popular media to get the information out – not just the website.
“I don’t trust government. All they do sit in their ivory tower and regulate.”
This is a point that is difficult to address, but it should be confronted because it’s a very real issue. Remember, “perception is reality.” Demonstrate that local government leaders really “are your neighbors” by getting elected officials and staff out into the community more often and promoting dialogue.
Step 2: Implement creative (and convenient!) methods to increase civic education
It’s so important to have a knowledgeable citizen base that understands at least the basics of local government and local issues. As administrators, we need to actively create opportunities for citizens to learn about local government in different ways, tailored for different learning preferences. Remember, if it’s not convenient, people likely won’t participate, even if they are interested.
Find opportunities to get involved in local schools. If your local government does not currently offer a Citizens Academy, consider developing one, held at different times throughout the year. Hold town hall meetings and facilitated discussions with targeted community groups after business hours to hear citizens’ perspectives. Just as importantly, promote these learning opportunities and make citizens aware of the benefits of participating. Utilize social media, engage the business and academic communities, and reach out to community/neighborhood groups.
Step 3: Provide opportunities for the public to become engaged in government
It’s important to provide opportunities for the public to engage in the discussion about how to solve or address issues in the community. With a deeper understanding of the issues and how local governments are equipped to address them, citizens can provide ideas and useful feedback to help us evaluate policy decisions and program performance. Activities like community forums and opinion polling give citizens a voice on local issues and provide assurance that their local government is listening. This helps to build citizens’ trust in their local government.
Conclusion
By now, you have probably noticed a common theme in each of these three steps to increased civic engagement: interaction between government and its citizens. We should always be mindful of how we can increase access to our data, our information, and ourselves. If we operate as transparently as possible, on the same level as our citizens, we create an environment where everyone feels they have a stake and a voice in their community.
