Encouraging greater civic engagement is vital for any functioning society. According to a recent study from the University of Exeter, engaging in volunteer activities during childhood can play a pivotal role in motivating individuals from politically apathetic backgrounds to cast their ballots later in life.
The research suggests that participating in community service can foster a greater interest in politics and instill a sense of civic responsibility, leading to a higher likelihood of voting. Nonetheless, the study also indicates that such an effect is not universal, and therefore, while valuable, volunteering alone cannot solve the issue of declining voter turnout.
By employing the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Survey and structural equation modeling, the researcher conducted a comprehensive analysis to assess the influence of childhood volunteering on the voting behavior of recently eligible voters in the UK general elections of 2015, 2017, and 2019.
The study employed a rigorous methodology to evaluate the impact of community service on political engagement, shedding light on a previously understudied area of inquiry.
Boosting turnout
“On average, childhood volunteering had little impact on voter turnout, because most children who volunteer are likely to vote in adulthood regardless. Their volunteering and then voting just reflects them becoming politically and civically active and their possession of resources that facilitate civic and political participation,” the researcher explains.
“But for the children of politically disengaged parents, who would otherwise be unlikely to vote because they have fewer opportunities become politically engaged, volunteering exposes them to political issues and institutions in their community, as well as other more politically engaged individuals, and increases their attachment to that community. This leads to increased interest in politics and a greater propensity to view voting as a civic duty.”
Using self-reported data on political interest and feelings of duty, qualification, and cost, the author examined the impact of childhood volunteering and other demographic characteristics on first-time voter turnout. Controlling for gender, age, and education, the study found that those raised in politically disengaged households saw a significant increase in turnout from volunteering compared to those raised in politically engaged households.
Formative years
During their teenage years, most respondents had at least some interest in politics, but only 16% volunteered at least once a week. By the time of their first election, overall political engagement had increased, but a quarter still reported having no interest in politics and rejecting the duty to vote.
Those from politically disengaged households were less engaged and less likely to volunteer, with 45% reporting no political interest in childhood and almost four-fifths never volunteering. In contrast, only 26% of those from politically engaged households reported no interest in politics in childhood, and almost a third reported volunteering.
Volunteering had a weak positive effect on feelings of duty to vote and a negligible effect on political interest. However, for children from disengaged households, every increase in the frequency of volunteering resulted in a 0.48 point increase in vote likelihood, compared to a 0.09 point increase for children from engaged households.
Attitudes towards political interest and duty had strong and significant effects on vote likelihood. Those who volunteered at least once a week were more likely to vote and have an interest in politics, while those who did not volunteer were more likely to have no interest in politics and be certain not to vote.
