1. Fayette County Civic Health Data Project
Georgia Family Connection Partnership
Fayette FACTOR
Fayette County Chamber of Commerce

2. Civic Health Index
How residents engage with one another, with their communities, with institutions, and with political processes
How civic participation varies across key demographic variables
How Georgia’s civic participation compares with other states

3. Communities with better civic health have:
Lower crime rates
Better public health outcomes
Stronger workforce development
Economic resiliency during downturns

4. State-Level Civic Health
Overall, Georgia ranks lower in civic health than other states.
Georgia is strongest in social engagement.
Georgia lags the nation in community involvement, political action, and confidence in institutions.

5. State-Level Civic Health
Across almost all measures,
higher income and
higher educational attainment
strongly correlate with
higher levels of civic health.

6. Local-Level Civic Health Work
Collaboratives administer the federal civic health survey, as well as county-specific questions
GaFCP organizes and analyzes the data
Using the data, Collaboratives build strategies to improve civic health at the local level

7. Local Civic Health Data Collection
In partnership with GaFCP, local partners review and determine:
Addition of local indicators to the core instrument
Sampling procedures and guidance
Target number of surveys to be collected
Possible data collection methods
Available community resources for implementation

8. Local Civic Health Data Collection
Sample guidelines based on American Community Survey data
ACS YEAR ESTIMATE
0.5% Sample based on ACS YEAR ESTIMATE
Category
City %
County
State
Remainder of County
Total
TOTAL POPULATION
8,327
100.0%
25,741
9,907,756 42 87
129
GENDER
Male
3,914
47.0%
12,423
48.3%
4,837,995
48.8% 20 43 62
Female
4,413
53.0%
13,318
51.7%
5,069,761
51.2% 22 45 67
RACE / ETHNICITY
RACE / ETHNCITY
White
6,196
74.4%
21,666
84.2%
5,989,234
60.4% 31 77
108
Black or African American
1,902
22.8%
3,128
12.2%
3,056,726
30.9% 10 6 16
American Indian and Alaska Native
0.0% 64
0.2%
25,137
0.3%
Asian 36
0.4% 96
344,195
3.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
4,317
Some other race 75
0.9%
487
1.9%
287,276
2.9% 2
Two or more races
118
1.4%
300
1.2%
200,871
2.0% 1
HISPANIC OR LATINO
149
1.8%
708
2.8%
896,717
9.1% 3 4
AGE CATEGORIES
Under 25
3,161
38.0%
8,679
33.7%
3,497,340
35.3% 28
2,615
31.4%
9,033
35.1%
4,138,098
41.8% 13 32
55 and older
2,551
30.6%
8,029
31.2%
2,272,318
22.9% 27 40
25 and older
5,166
62.0%
17,062
66.3%
6,410,416
64.7% 26 59 85

9. Local Civic Health Data Collection A Great Deal of Confidence
Sample question from civic health instrument showing local modifications
How much confidence do you have in each of the following institutions to do what is right? Check ONE response for each institution.
A Great Deal of Confidence
Some Confidence
Hardly Any Confidence
No Confidence at All
Counties
Corporations 
All
The Media (Local/National)
Public Schools
Nationally elected officials
Camden, Fayette, Stephens
State elected officials
Local elected officials
Law enforcement (Local)
Courts
Local nonprofit organizations
Churches / Faith community
Cook, Fayette, Stephens
Local health care system
Cook
Small business
Fayette

10. Fayette County Methodology
Both paper and on-line completion were available
Surveys were distributed by:
Fayette County Chamber Adult Leadership Class members
FACTORS Youth Leadership Group
All surveys were completed between 10/1/17 and 11/1/17
Total number of respondents = 701
ANY OTHER METHODOLOGY DETAILS YOU WANT TO MENTION HERE?

11. Fayette County
Civic Health Data

12. Respondents vs. ACS Estimates

13. Other Respondent Demographics

14. Community Involvement & Volunteering

15. Community Involvement & Volunteering

16. Political Action and Participation

17. Political Action and Participation

18. Social Connectedness

19. Social Connectedness

20. Social Connectedness

21. Possible Next Steps to Increase Civic Health: Proven Practices*
Provide instruction in government, history, law, and democracy.
ICivics – curricula and supporting materials (icivics.org)
Incorporate discussion of current local, national, and international issues into classrooms.
Design and implement programs that provide students with opportunities to apply what they learn through community service.
Offer extracurricular activities that provide opportunities for young people to get involved in their schools or communities.
Encourage student participation in school governance.
Encourage students’ participation in simulations of democratic processes and procedures.
*Excerpted from: National Center for Learning and Civic Engagement

22. Possible Next Steps to Increase Civic Health: Promising Practices
Increase opportunities for volunteerism.
Modify built environments to increase opportunities for face-to-face interactions.
Develop and promote urban spaces that bring people together.
Encourage and support educational achievement.
Develop methods to invite community members to participate in nonpartisan community activities.
Support and promote voting.
Support and encourage national service opportunities (Americorps, Military, Teach for America, etc.).

23. Questions?