A new study conducted by Heart+Mind Strategies for State Policy Network shows a majority of Americans believe local engagement is key to the American system, but more must be done to get people to embrace the concept in practice.  The study was conducted among 1,003 Americans, ages 18+, on November 11-16, 2021.

Where does meaningful change happen?

Americans generally believe the most meaningful change happens at the local level, although many Americans are soft in their belief of this statement. There are no significant differences based on key demographics or political ideology.

Local engagement is critical to America but a sizable group have little motivation to be involved

Three-quarters of Americans, and nearly four-in-five registered voters, believe local engagement is a critical part of our local government. However, nearly half of that group agree with the idea only “somewhat.” A hyper-focus by our country on national politics may be driving this softer believe in localism, but there is clearly appetite to shift this focus: 59% of Americans have at least some trust in their local government compared to just 45% at the federal level.

Americans over 65 years old are more likely to see engagement as critical (85%). Democrats (80%) are also slightly more likely to feel this way.

Belief in local engagement doesn’t equal taking action

Despite a belief that local engagement is vital for our unique system of government, Americans are less likely to want to be more involved in the decisions that impact their local communities. Fewer than two-thirds (62%) of Americans want to be more engaged, and fewer than three-in-ten (29%) strongly feel a greater desire to have an impact on the decisions affecting their local communities. Men ages 18-34 are a key group bucking the trend, with 76% agreeing they want to be more engaged in their local community and 41% strongly agreeing.

Generations view local engagement differently

There is a strong generational pattern when looking at the desire for more local engagement alongside its perceived importance. The youngest generation in America, Generation Z, are about even in their beliefs that local engagement is critical for American democracy and their desire to be more engaged. However, as Americans get older, that gap widens considerably. Among Boomers, there is a 23-point gap between the belief in the importance of local engagement and the desire to do more of it.

It is unclear if Boomers are fundamentally different that other generations or if the gap between the perceived importance of local engagement and the desire to be a part of it simply continues to widen with age. Either way, Generation Z is currently showing a willingness to be involved and a belief that involvement is important, which makes them a key audience for engagement.