WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are a little less likely to ask what they can do for their country these days.
An Associated Press-GfK poll found that the sense of duty has slipped since a similar survey three decades earlier. Civic virtues such as staying informed or serving on a jury don't seem as important as they once did — especially among the younger generation.
The findings fit with research that's been worrying many experts who study civic engagement or advocate for teaching more about civics in school.
"I don't see any recovery," said Rutgers University Professor Cliff Zukin. "The people who were 40 two decades ago aren't as engaged as the people who were 60 two decades ago. This generational slippage tends to continue."
Here are five things to know about Americans' sense of civic duty:
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CITIZENSHIP'S NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE
Americans' commitment to some traditional obligations of citizenship has slipped.
View gallery
In this July 3, 2014 file photo, a volunteer helps …
In this July 3, 2014 file photo, a volunteer helps distribute groceries at a food bank at the Abunda …
An Associated Press-GfK poll repeated questions asked in 1984 about six civic-minded activities: voting, volunteering, serving on a jury, reporting crime, knowing English and keeping informed about news and public issues.
Of the six, only voting and volunteering were embraced about as strongly as three decades ago, when NORC at the University of Chicago posed those questions to Americans on the General Social Survey, but volunteering doesn't rank very high on the list for many.
While just 28 percent say volunteering is "a very important obligation" that a citizen owes the country, three-fourths of Americans consider voting central to citizenship.
Nonetheless, only about 36 percent of eligible voters turned out for November's midterms, according to University of Florida Associate Professor Michael P. McDonald's analysis. That's the lowest since World War II.
More here: http://news.yahoo.com/5-things-americans-slipping-sense-duty-162549408.html
An Associated Press-GfK poll found that the sense of duty has slipped since a similar survey three decades earlier. Civic virtues such as staying informed or serving on a jury don't seem as important as they once did — especially among the younger generation.
The findings fit with research that's been worrying many experts who study civic engagement or advocate for teaching more about civics in school.
"I don't see any recovery," said Rutgers University Professor Cliff Zukin. "The people who were 40 two decades ago aren't as engaged as the people who were 60 two decades ago. This generational slippage tends to continue."
Here are five things to know about Americans' sense of civic duty:
******1
CITIZENSHIP'S NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE
Americans' commitment to some traditional obligations of citizenship has slipped.
View gallery
In this July 3, 2014 file photo, a volunteer helps …
In this July 3, 2014 file photo, a volunteer helps distribute groceries at a food bank at the Abunda …
An Associated Press-GfK poll repeated questions asked in 1984 about six civic-minded activities: voting, volunteering, serving on a jury, reporting crime, knowing English and keeping informed about news and public issues.
Of the six, only voting and volunteering were embraced about as strongly as three decades ago, when NORC at the University of Chicago posed those questions to Americans on the General Social Survey, but volunteering doesn't rank very high on the list for many.
While just 28 percent say volunteering is "a very important obligation" that a citizen owes the country, three-fourths of Americans consider voting central to citizenship.
Nonetheless, only about 36 percent of eligible voters turned out for November's midterms, according to University of Florida Associate Professor Michael P. McDonald's analysis. That's the lowest since World War II.
More here: http://news.yahoo.com/5-things-americans-slipping-sense-duty-162549408.html
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