Civic and community resources
About
Civic and community resources include the physical and social infrastructure that help us stay connected and make community participation possible. Civic and community resources include spaces such as libraries or community centers, programs that promote volunteering and social connection and policies that make it easier to vote.
Relationship to health and equity
Evidence shows that participating in our communities strengthens our social connections and sense of belonging, which, in turn, benefits our physical and mental health. Community members can participate in political (e.g., voting, policy advocacy) and non-political (e.g., volunteering) activities regarding public concerns and work together toward solutions and positive changes. Physical community resources such as community centers, libraries and parks provide spaces for residents to connect, gather, access services and engage in community activities. Less visible but equally important community resources are policies and practices that enable participation, such as time off for voting and early voter registration of teens in advance of eligibility.
When we don’t provide community resources that make it easier to vote, volunteer and come together to participate in making our communities better, we lose out on valuable voices and experience that could contribute to healthy, more equitable conditions.
Relationship to systems and structures
Historical and present structural barriers prevent people of color and people with low incomes from participating in civic life and making their voices heard. Examples of these types of structural barriers include voter suppression practices and gerrymandering.
Systematic disparities in voter registration contribute to underrepresentation of people of color and people with low incomes in voting. Asian, Black and Latino individuals are disproportionally underrepresented among individuals registered to vote. For example, in the 2020 presidential election, 61% of voting-eligible white young adults (ages 18-29) were estimated to vote, compared to 48% of Latino, 47% of Asian, and 43% of Black young adults. Young adults (ages 18-29) who had never attended college were underrepresented across all racial and ethnic groups in the 2022 midterm election.
Marginalized and low-wealth communities often lack adequate physical facilities. For example, public libraries in formerly redlined neighborhoods and rural communities have fewer resources than public libraries in more affluent areas. Marginalized and racialized communities, those perceived as being socially different from the racial or ethnic majority, are less likely to reside in or have access to walkable neighborhoods with green space.
Community members can take action by engaging in civic activities, organizing, centering their voices and experiences and exerting collective power to remove structural barriers and make their communities thrive.
Additional Reading
- Ricca, F., & Trebbi, F. (2022). Minority underrepresentation in U.S. cities. National Bureau of Economic Research. https://www.nber.org/papers/w29738
- Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. (2021). 2020 youth voter turnout by race/ethnicity and gender. https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/2020-youth-voter-turnout-raceethnicity-and-gender
- Suzuki, S., de Guzman, P., & Medina, A. (2022). Youth voters in 2022: Black and non-college youth were underrepresented. Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/young-voters-2022-black-and-non-college-youth-were-underrepresented
- Sin, S.J. (2011). Neighborhood disparities in access to information resources: Measuring and mapping U.S. public libraries’ funding and service landscapes. Library & Information Science Research, 33(1), 41-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2010.06.002