Lesson 34: What Is the Importance of Civic Engagement to American Constitutional Democracy?
What are some issues regarding civic engagement? (Video)
Importance of civic engagement; role of voluntary associations; participation in local and state governments; importance of education; problem of voter turnout; state laws facilitating and inhibiting registration and voting; state control of elections; characteristics of those who vote; issue of mandatory voting.
Student Questions: Unit 6, Lesson 34, Sections 1-2 (pdf download)
What is the relationship between self-interest, participation, and the common good? (Video)
Civic participation and self-interest; the problems regarding political information, civic participation, the common good, and the breadth of participation; extent of the influence of natural rights philosophy and classical republicanism on American political behavior.
Civic Engagement (Video)
A video about civic engagement and voluntary association.
Citizenship: Making Government Work (Video)
A video about democracy and the importance of civic engagement. From the Democracy in America video series. Produced in 2003 by the Educational Film Center. From Annenberg Media's Learner.org website. Registration and log-in required. Length: 57 min., 48 sec.
Elections: The Maintenance of Democracy (Video)
A video on how citizens should become active in democracy by Annenberg Media.
