Civic Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Benjamin Paley
August 26, 2021
Since early 2020, daily life in America has been turned on its head. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) forced Americans to work from home, practice social distancing and wear a mask over their mouth and nose.
The government was not immune to the problems COVID-19 brought. Last year, I wrote an article for PA Times on government use of teleconferencing systems (such as Zoom) for conducting public meetings and hearings. In addition, courts across the United States went remote. Jury trials were temporarily put on hold, and most, if not all, court hearings were conducted using teleconferencing systems. Local governments utilized teleconferencing systems for regular and special public meetings.
Since early 2020, governments have learned better ways of using teleconferencing systems in the COVID-19 world and have figured out ways to better engage the public using those methods.
Civic engagement is the crux of the American democratic system. Through civic engagement, Americans participate in the governing of their own lives and hold government officials accountable.
Civic engagement is defined as, “Citizens’ participation in public activities that are aimed to improve some aspects of the society to promote the public good of the society.”
How has civic engagement improved since the government began working remotely in March 2020?
Quiet a lot. The aftermath of COVID-19 has been both a blessing and a curse in many ways. More than ever, everyday Americans, those who were civically engaged before COVID-19 and those who have since become civically engaged are able to involve themselves mores than ever before in knowing what their government is up to.
Although public meetings were live streamed even before COVID-19, and some local governments were even using Zoom, people who did watch/listen to government proceedings from a remote location were unable to involve themselves in the process because the government would not provide any means for those participating remotely to be involved.
COVID-19 has changed all of that.
Here are a few examples and suggestions of how everyday Americans can, during the COVID-19 pandemic, be involved civically.
- Communicate using social media: More and more, government officials and entities are turning to social media to engage with their communities and social media is becoming more and more of a channel for members of the public to be civically engaged. This is even truer when it comes to political involvement.
- Set-up Zoom Meetings with your elected government officials, or use any other teleconferencing system that is used by your government entity.
- Experiment outside your comfort zone: Dalton Glasscock, the Sedgwick County Republican Party Chairman, stated that members of the public can, “Attend an online forum for a civic group you normally wouldn’t have attended in person. What do you have to lose? No need to talk to folks or interact. Just sit with a glass of wine and listen.”
- Watch this episode of Michigan Minds to learn more tips about civic and community engagement during COVID-19.
- Read this publication about community engagement during COVID-19. Community engagement is defined as seeking, “To better engage the community to achieve long-term and sustainable outcomes, processes, relationships, discourse, decisionmaking or implementation.”
Although COVID-19 has uprooted the lives of many Americans, it does not mean that Americans should be less civically engaged. As any reader can see, there are many ways the public has engaged and participated with the government.
Author: Benjamin Paley is a board member of the South Florida Chapter of the ASPA. He graduated in 2018 from Florida Atlantic University with a Master of Public Administration degree. He currently studies law at Nova Southeastern University. Email: [email protected].
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Civic Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Benjamin Paley
August 26, 2021
Since early 2020, daily life in America has been turned on its head. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) forced Americans to work from home, practice social distancing and wear a mask over their mouth and nose.
The government was not immune to the problems COVID-19 brought. Last year, I wrote an article for PA Times on government use of teleconferencing systems (such as Zoom) for conducting public meetings and hearings. In addition, courts across the United States went remote. Jury trials were temporarily put on hold, and most, if not all, court hearings were conducted using teleconferencing systems. Local governments utilized teleconferencing systems for regular and special public meetings.
Since early 2020, governments have learned better ways of using teleconferencing systems in the COVID-19 world and have figured out ways to better engage the public using those methods.
Civic engagement is the crux of the American democratic system. Through civic engagement, Americans participate in the governing of their own lives and hold government officials accountable.
Civic engagement is defined as, “Citizens’ participation in public activities that are aimed to improve some aspects of the society to promote the public good of the society.”
How has civic engagement improved since the government began working remotely in March 2020?
Quiet a lot. The aftermath of COVID-19 has been both a blessing and a curse in many ways. More than ever, everyday Americans, those who were civically engaged before COVID-19 and those who have since become civically engaged are able to involve themselves mores than ever before in knowing what their government is up to.
Although public meetings were live streamed even before COVID-19, and some local governments were even using Zoom, people who did watch/listen to government proceedings from a remote location were unable to involve themselves in the process because the government would not provide any means for those participating remotely to be involved.
COVID-19 has changed all of that.
Here are a few examples and suggestions of how everyday Americans can, during the COVID-19 pandemic, be involved civically.
Although COVID-19 has uprooted the lives of many Americans, it does not mean that Americans should be less civically engaged. As any reader can see, there are many ways the public has engaged and participated with the government.
Author: Benjamin Paley is a board member of the South Florida Chapter of the ASPA. He graduated in 2018 from Florida Atlantic University with a Master of Public Administration degree. He currently studies law at Nova Southeastern University. Email: [email protected].
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