civic capacity

civic capacity, capacity of individuals in a democracy to become active citizens and to work together to solve collective problems and of communities to encourage such participation in their members.

Civic capacity may be understood as a property of individuals as well as of communities, such as associations, neighbourhoods, cities, or nations. Civic capacity understood as an individual characteristic refers to a citizen’s ability and aptitude for participation in the political decision-making process. It signifies skills of discerning facts and making judgments in the context of civic activism. It implies not only the ability to think and act but also a willingness to do so in the public good. Civic capacity attributed to communities refers to their ability to mobilize their members (both individual and institutional) into collective action aimed at improving their circumstances. This collective civic capacity is also determined by available resources; low-status communities have low civic capacity.

A certain degree of individually defined civic capacity is necessary for the existence of democracy, as citizens’ presence in the public sphere and their influence on the decision-making processes are the key elements of a regime’s democratic legitimacy. Civic-education projects run by schools and sponsored by governments as well as nongovernmental institutions, such as the American Center for Civic Education, are recognized ways of increasing individuals’ civic capacity as they stimulate interest in the common good and positively influence levels of political competence. Also, participation in voluntary associations, while being a demonstration of civic capacity, enhances it further. Individuals’ resources, such as education and money, condition their political competence and awareness as well as their participation in the community. Many studies have shown a causal relationship between socioeconomic status and civic participation.

The notion of civic capacity as a community feature was popularized in the United States in the late 1990s by researchers from the Civic Capacity and Urban Education Project who studied how local communities tackle the issue of educational reform. They focused on two major issues: how various agents with diverse interests and preferences develop the means for identifying common goals and what strategies they chose to pursue these goals. The formal and informal ways of reaching consensus and overcoming collective-action problems, which constitute a community’s civic capacity, may therefore become a key determinant of policy agenda. Levels of civic capacity are dependent on the degree of consensus reached by various agents. Communities with high levels of civic capacity more easily initiate reforms and maintain their consequences. Therefore, civic capacity is a key element of social sustainability.