Engaging Young People in Civic Life

James Youniss is James R. and Wylma R. Curtin Professor of Psychology at the Catholic University of America. He has published four previous books on youth civic identity. Peter Levine is Director of CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts University. He is the author of The Future of Democracy: Developing the Next Generation of American Citizens, among other books.

• Introduction:; Policy for Youth Civic Engagement - Peter Levine and James Youniss; PART I. Youth and Schools; Chapter 1. A ""Younger Americans Act"": An Old Idea for a New Era - James Youniss and Peter Levine; Chapter 2. Democracy for Some: The Civic Opportunity Gap in High School - Joseph Kahne and Ellen Middaugh; Chapter 3. Principles That Promote Discussion of Controversial Political Issues - Diana Hess; Part II. Political Environments: Neighborhoods and Cities; Chapter 4. Policies for Civic Engagement beyond the Schoolyard - James G. Gimpel and Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz; Chapter 5. Civic Participation and Development in Urban Adolescents - Daniel Hart and Ben Kirshner; Chapter 6. City Government as Enabler of Youth Civic Engagement: Policy Design and Implications - Carmen Sirianni and Diana Marginean Schor; Chapter 7. Local Political Parties and Young Voters: Context, Resources, and Policy Innovation - Daniel M. Shea; Part III. Policy Models from Other Nations; Chapter 8. Youth Electoral Participation in Canada and Scandinavia - Henry Milner; Chapter 9. Civic Education in Europe: Perspectives from the Netherlands, Belgium, and France - Marc Hooghe and Ellen Claes; Chapter 10. Strengthening Education for Citizenship and Democracy in the United Kingdom - David Kerr and Elizabeth Cleaver; Conclusion:; The Way Forward - Peter Levine and James Youniss.

This important book tackles head-on one of the major concerns of our day, that too many young people, especially those who don't attend college, are ill informed about and disengaged from politics. Youniss and Levine offer an optimistic and practical way forward - bringing together schools, communities, political parties, and local governments to provide incentives and structured opportunities for young people's political participation and learning. This is just what we need! ANNE COLBY SENIOR SCHOLAR, CARNEGIE FOUNDATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF TEACHING, AND AUTHOR OF EDUCATING FOR DEMOCRACY