Surveys Show Political Polarization and Varied Levels of Civic Engagement among College Students

Two recent surveys of American undergraduates, one conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) and the other through the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), have revealed shifting student attitudes toward politics and civic engagement. The latest of HERI's annual surveys of entering college freshmen suggests that students are becoming more polarized in their political orientations. At the same time, entering students are expressing a growing interest in politics--a development, the report notes, that marks "a reversal of the long-term trend toward political disengagement." Further detail about the civic orientation of undergraduates is provided by this year's NSSE survey, which included a new set of questions on civic engagement. Significant percentages of students, the survey found, publicly express their political opinions, participate in rallies, vigils, or protests, and lead meetings or activities for organizations. The NSSE report also reveals that although an overwhelming majority of students use one or more media source to keep up with the news, very few students rely on newspapers and magazines as a primary news source.

The 2004 HERI report is based on survey responses from more than 400,000 entering students at some 700 two- and four-year colleges and universities. The NSSE results are derived from an experimental civic engagement survey of 113,000 students from 449 institutions and a separate survey of 12,000 students from a consortium of thirty-two American Democracy Project/American Association of State Colleges and Universities member institutions.

FINDINGS

Political Orientations of Entering Freshmen: 2004 HERI Data

1. Interest in politics is on the rise: 34.3 percent of entering students feel that "keeping up to date with political affairs" is a very important or essential life goal, and 25.5 percent report having frequently "discussed politics"--the highest level since 1992.
2. Identification as either "liberal" (26.1 percent) or "conservative" (21.9 percent) has increased from last year; although "middle-of-the-road" (46.4 percent) remains the most popular self-description, it is now at its lowest point in over thirty years.
3. Despite the growing interest in politics, only 19.7 percent of entering students feel that "influencing the political structure" is a very important or essential life goal.
4. More than a quarter (26.8 percent) of entering students strongly or somewhat believe that "realistically, an individual can do little to bring about changes in our society."
5. This year, 24.1 percent of entering students anticipate that they will participate in volunteer or community-service work while in college.
   

Student Civic Engagement: 2004 NSSE Data

1. Fifty-four percent of male students and 46 percent of females at least "sometimes" express their opinions about political or community issues in public forums.
2. Ninety-three percent of all students use one or more media source to stay informed about political or community issues.
3. More than one-fourth of all students have attended a rally, vigil, or protest.
4. Twenty-two percent of first-year students and 30 percent of seniors have led meetings or activities for groups or organizations
5. About 25 percent of first-year students and 37 percent of seniors have voted in an election.
   

Visit the Higher Education Research Institute's Web site to learn more about or to purchase this year's report, The American Freshman: National Norms for Fall 2004. The 2004 report of the National Survey of Student Engagement, Student Engagement: Pathways to Collegiate Success, can be downloaded for free.

To see what students in focus groups conducted as part of AAC&U's Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP) campaign say about civic engagement as a key outcome of college, see AAC&U's advocacy pages. For information about the Center for Civic Engagement and Liberal Education and about AAC&U's civic engagement resources and publications, see our civic engagement page.

DID YOU KNOW?

• A record number of entering students this year define themselves at the political extremes of "far right" (2.2 percent) and "far left" (3.4 percent).
• Newspapers and magazines are the primary source of national and international news for only about 10 percent of students.
• Students at liberal arts colleges are more frequently engaged in civic activities than their counterparts at other schools.