Civic vs. Political engagement

By Olivia Stevermer

Civic engagement is multifaceted. It can look like any number of different things; mutual aid, volunteering, voting, neighborhood organizations, etc. This column is going to focus on the difference between civic engagement and political engagement because, while they are often used interchangeably, they are not the same. In short, all political engagement is civic engagement but not all civic engagement is political.

As we said in our last column, civic engagement is the process of people participating in their communities and democratic processes. It is centered around encouraging people to get involved in their communities and informing people of relevant issues and aspects of community life. Civic engagement works to connect individual, organizations, corporations and government to build a sense of shared responsibility for the wellbeing of our society.

Political engagement is civic engagement but it is specifically the process of people working together towards their shared political objectives. It can look like protesting, running for office, campaigning for political candidates, petitioning, lobbying, etc. Political engagement is centered around advocating for and initiating policy change that will (ideally) better the wellbeing of a society. In America, this often - but not always - looks like engaging with one of the two major political parties.

The differences between civic engagement and political activism are important to acknowledge because it is important to remember that participating in communities that you live in and engaging with the democratic process is not inherently political – it is something that comes with being a denizen of this country regardless of affiliation.

There are a number of opportunities for both civic and political engagement on campus. SCEF works to involve students in civic engagement by providing events and experiences but also by working to educate our campus community as a whole on how to engage civically, what it looks like, and what the impacts can be. If you are interested in being further involved with SCEF or taking advantage of any of these opportunities contact eganderson600@stkate.edu to learn more or follow the OSE Instagram to stay apprised of events!