APSA’s Civic Engagement Section Shines a Spotlight on Civic Engagement

APSA’s Civic Engagement Section Shines a Spotlight on Civic Engagement

By Elizabeth A. Bennion, Indiana University South Bend

The Civic Engagement Section of the American Political Science Association (APSA) formed in 2020 to promote the teaching, research, and praxis of civic engagement. The Section draws on past work by political scientists and by APSA to integrate civic engagement into teaching, research, and public engagement. This includes online resources for public engagement, sponsorship of the Alma Ostrom and Leah Hopkins Awan Civic Education Fund of the APSA Centennial Center, establishment of the APSA Distinguished Award for Community and Civic Engagement, creation of the APSA Institute for Civically Engaged Research (ICER), creation of the APSA Educate website, and APSA’s Raise the Vote campaign. APSA also officially endorsed the Campus Compact initiative that asked universities to develop an action plan to promote more civic engagement by students, faculty, and staff and recommended that political scientists become involved in these and other similar efforts.