Indicators 2024: Civic engagement an important community asset

WILKES-BARRE — The Institute’s 2024 Indicators Report found that an engaged and involved population is an important asset for the overall strength and health of a community.

“It helps ensure equity and access to resources, as well as resiliency and collaboration,” said Jill Avery-Stoss, Chief Operating Officer at The Institute.

Avery-Stoss said although civic engagement is difficult to measure, matters such as the prevalence of volunteerism, voter registration and turnout, and the activities of nonprofit organizations are helpful indicators.

“Nonprofit organizations span a variety of activity areas,” Avery-Stoss said. “These areas include health, human services, education, religion, and the environment. They also include arts, culture, and humanities.”

Avery-Stoss said these organizations are formed to serve public or mutual benefits rather than the pursuit of profits for owners and investors. She said they are ways by which community members can act and improve their areas. Major shares of nonprofits in Luzerne and Wayne counties are religious in nature — a majority share of nonprofits in Lackawanna County focus on the arts.

Libraries are nonprofit organizations that serve an especially important role in the area. They are trusted resources that connect people with information and support. Not only do they allow access to books and other reading content, they also provide avenues to music, foreign language materials, and educational programming.

According to Avery-Stoss, Northeastern Pennsylvania is home to a robust ecosystem of libraries that continuously adapt to meet changing community needs.

“Declining interest in volunteer work does negatively affect nonprofits,” Avery-Stoss said. “It negatively affects critical public safety services like volunteer fire companies and EMS too. Volunteerism may not be as strong as it has been in the past, but older teenagers and young adults are open to these opportunities. There is potential for nonprofits and public service departments to expand their volunteer networks through outreach to these populations.”

The Institute’s 2023 poll of college and university students showed that 57% sometimes or often participate in events to raise money for charity. Nearly 49% of the responding students sometimes or often get involved in organizations outside school.

Voter activity is a key measure of civic engagement

Voter registration and turnout are also important indicators of civic engagement. Avery-Stoss said this information reveals how people perceive the government and its decision-making policies.

For instance, Avery-Stoss said low voter turnout may be a sign that a community lacks awareness or interest in candidates.

“People may not have strong opinions about their elected officials, or they may distrust the voting process,” Avery-Stoss said. “Conversely, high voter turnout suggests a sense of involvement. It also indicates that people trust and believe in their candidates.”

Avery-Stoss said voter registration and turnout tend to increase in presidential election years — a typical pattern across the country, but it does not bode well for the process.

The non-presidential election years consist of more local and state official elections which have a direct bearing on the everyday lives of community members — perhaps more so than the presidential elections.

“This trend highlights the value of voter education,” stated Avery-Stoss. “It helps people understand the impact of local elections on their daily lives.