The Paradox of Youth Civic Engagement: Leveling The Playing Field While Exacerbating Existing Gaps

Srinika K.

Youth civic engagement refers to when youth seek to improve their community (their neighborhood, school community, city, state, country, etc) through a political lens. Activities associated with civic engagement include, but are not limited to, helping people register to vote, attending local city council meetings, and submitting a letter to legislators with the intention of persuading their position on a particular policy. Youth civic engagement, therefore, is the concept of adolescents taking action for their community by resolving issues faced by many—if not all—members of said community.

Youth civic engagement has numerous positive effects, both on the individual level and on a much larger scale. On the individual level, civic engagement helps youth feel more confident, knowledgeable, and skilled, as supported by a wealth of research. A 2010 paper published by the University of California, Davis Center for Regional Change found that “[c]ivic engagement has been shown to enhance young people’s intellectual, psychological, emotional, and social outcomes, by shaping a positive and productive self-concept” (Romero et al). This increased self-confidence contributes to greater success in the endeavors of civically engaged youth. Additionally, while civically engaging and participating in activities that require youth to engage in community outreach, public speaking, and issue analysis, youth develop a wealth of soft skills that will support them as they begin pursuing careers and gradually start joining the workforce.

On a larger scale, youth civic engagement results in cleaner environments, safer school campuses, better communities, and happier constituents. Given that youth civic engagement initiatives are broad and varied, spanning several domains of advocacy (environmental, social, political, economic, etc), they bring forth a multitude of positive changes. The aforementioned paper published by the Center for Regional Change at the University of California, Davis emphasized that youth civic engagement highlights the “unacknowledged practices and contributions of typically under-represented young people and communities, including those of color, low-income, and immigrant status” (Romero et al). Thus, youth civic engagement fosters a sense of unity, inclusion, and diversity among underrepresented communities, effectively working to level the playing field.

However, civic engagement can also exacerbate existing societal gaps due to the factors that wield influence over who gets to engage civically and who lacks this opportunity. Educational institutions (high schools, colleges, universities, etc) in wealthier, more privileged areas are able to successfully push youth towards civic engagement by incorporating it in the social science curriculum. A research article published in 2025 by the National Association of State Boards of Education found that wealthier high schools offer students the opportunity to engage in civic service to earn school credit, thus serving as a successful way in which “state leaders can incentivize youth civic engagement” (Sutter and Watson).

Similarly, states that offer programs in which students work directly with policymakers (internships, fellowships, youth advisory councils, etc) often enjoy increased youth civic engagement, as youth jump at the opportunity to work one-on-one with the elected officials whose political choices can completely alter the course of their lives. Conversely, educational institutions in impoverished areas with high levels of poverty endure decreased youth civic engagement, as they lack the budget, funding, and personal network to implement the aforementioned programs that foster civic engagement. Youth civic engagement, therefore, exacerbates existing socioeconomic gaps, as youth who attend wealthier educational institutions are presented with numerous opportunities to engage civically (which, as previously described, has several benefits), while those who lack the fortune of attending such privileged institutions lack such opportunities and the advantages they provide.

Youth civic engagement is further hindered by factors like a young individual’s immigration status, which is already the cause of numerous societal gaps. The aforementioned paper published by the Center for Regional Change at the University of California, Davis found that in several communities in Sacramento, “[m]ore than one in ten youth identify immigration status as a barrier to their participation [in civic initiatives]” (Romero et al). As it is, youth who are first-generation immigrants and are not naturalized citizens of the country they primarily reside in hesitate to be active in their community due to fear-inducing legislation, so for their immigration status to prevent them from engaging in civic initiatives that prevent this hesitation represents a serious divide on civic lines.

Ultimately, while youth civic engagement possesses a plethora of benefits, both on the individual level and on a larger scale, it is also home to numerous inequalities that undo its efforts to bridge societal gaps. This paradox represents the need for widespread—if not universal—youth civic engagement, which organizations like New Voters, The Civics Center, Civics Unplugged, and Rhizome are already making efforts towards. Youth with the time, privilege, and interest to engage in civic initiatives should utilize the golden opportunity presented to them, and existing civic leaders must challenge themselves to take the next step by working to recruit youth in underprivileged communities which have historically been ignored and remain unengaged. Together, we can solve the paradox of youth civic engagement.

Citations

Harker Aquila Editorial Board. “Editorial: Lack of Civic Engagement Dampens Student Voices - Harker Aquila.” Harker Aquila, 11 Oct. 2024, harkeraquila.com/83576/opinion/editorial-lack-of-civic-engagement-dampens-student-voices/.

Romero, Mindy, et al. “Opportunities and Challenges for Youth Civic Engagement.” University of California, Davis Center for Regional Change, Nov. 2010, https://regionalchange.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk986/files/inline-files/Youth_Civic_Engagement.pdf.

Sutter, Jessica, and Audra Watson. “The State of Youth Civic Engagement.” National Association of State Boards of Education, 2025, www.nasbe.org/the-state-of-youth-civic-engagement/.