Civic Knowledge Trumps a College Degree

Does having a college degree make you more likely to vote or participate in civic engagement?

According to a recent study, “How Civic Knowledge Trumps a College Degree in Promoting Active Civic Engagement”, it does not!

The report’s findings suggest that beyond voting, college graduates don’t become more civically or politically active than anybody else. The study concludes that when it comes to civic engagement,

A college degree appears to have the same negligible participatory impact as frequently listening to music, watching prime-time television, utilizing social networking sites, and emailing.

Are youth just impressionable?

Voter outreach campaigns like MTV’s “Rock the Vote” or Diddy’s “Vote or Die” work to get the vote out but soon fade out. These campaigns do not keep the civic conversation going among the youth.

The study suggests that what does get people involved is in fact civic self-education or civic knowledge. People that are frequently reading and discussing history and current affairs show a statistically significant positive impact on civic engagement. Youth that are being constantly exposed to platforms or spaces to share their thoughts, opinions are more likely to understand their relevance in political engagement.

Do you agree with the study? Do you think that college degrees should be focusing more on civic engagement, government, and history? What do you think are the impacts on the future of government retention and/or political participation?

Photo from Intercollegiate Studies Institute