Category: Civic Attitudes

Resource Category Topic Type
2012 New Hampshire Civic Health Index
The 2012 New Hampshire Civic Health Index follows earlier studies, including the New Hampshire Civic Index compiled by the NH Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in 2006 and the 2009 Civic Health Index published by the Carsey Institute in collaboration with the National Conference on Citizenship and Knowledge Networks.
 New Hampshire Civic Attitudes, Health, New Hampshire Publication
2020 New Hampshire Civic Health Index
In this report, authors Quixada Moore-Vissing and Bruce Mallory build on previous Indexes published in 2006, 2009, and 2013 to take stock of New Hampshire's civic well-being in light of the changes the state has experienced in recent years. Their research draws on data from the U.S. Census, the Social Capital Community Benchmarks survey, and the UNH Granite State Poll.
 New Hampshire Civic Attitudes, Civic Engagement, Community, New Hampshire Publication
Climate Change: Partisanship, Understanding, and Public Opinion
In 2010, Carsey Institute researchers began including three new questions about climate change on a series of regional surveys. They asked how much people understand about the issue of global warming or climate change; whether they think that most scientists agree that climate change is happening now as a result of human activities; and what they believe personally about the topic. Survey results show that while large majorities agree that climate change is happening now, they split on whether this is attributed mainly to human or natural causes. Brief author Lawrence Hamilton concludes that most people gather information about climate change not directly from scientists but indirectly—through news media, political activists, acquaintances, and other non-science sources. Their understanding reflects not simply scientific knowledge, but rather the adoption of views promoted by political or opinion leaders they follow. While public beliefs about physical reality remain strikingly politicized, leading science organizations agree that human activities are now changing the Earth’s climate. Interestingly, the strong scientific agreement on this point contrasts with the partisan disagreement seen on all of the Carsey surveys.
 Community, Environment, and Climate Change Civic Attitudes, Climate Change, Politics and Elections, Public Opinion Publication
Community Strength and Economic Challenge: Civic Attitudes and Community Involvement in Rural America
Residents in rural areas that are rich in amenities report a positive outlook about their community strength and civic engagement, with nine out of ten saying they would work together to solve a community problem. However, residents in chronically poor rural communities are less likely to trust, get along with, and help their neighbors. Michele Dillon, professor of sociology at UNH and faculty advisor at the Carsey Institute, and Justin R. Young, a doctoral student in sociology, used data from the Community and Environment in Rural America (CERA) survey to highlight the variation in patterns of civic involvement across rural America.
 Vulnerable Families Research Program Civic Attitudes, Community, Rural Publication
Data Snapshot: “Trump Towns” Swung Democratic in New Hampshire Midterms
New Hampshire municipalities with fewer college-educated residents, which generally offered strong support for Donald Trump two years ago, swung toward the opposing party in the 2018 midterms.
Demography, New Hampshire Civic Attitudes, Demography, New Hampshire, Politics and Elections, Public Opinion Publication
Designing and Conducting a Community-Based Civic Health Index
This primer offers suggestions for designing and conducting a community-based civic health index (CB Index). A CB Index allows local leaders to determine what is most important or relevant to measure in a particular town or small city and to then collect local data that reflect the specific civic activities of that community’s residents. With these data in hand, local leaders and community members can together decide what actions they might take to strengthen local civic health so that all residents can thrive in a healthy, engaged community.
 Civic Attitudes, Civic Engagement, Community, Community Development Publication
Local Civic Health
This seven-part guide is designed to help people at the local level collect data to better understand what factors bring people together or push them apart. This information can help communities to thrive and strengthen democracy at the local level.
 New Hampshire Listens Civic Attitudes, Civic Engagement, Community Publication