Civic engagement: A vital sign of health and democracy

Civic engagement means promoting the quality of life in a community through activities both political (e.g., voting, organizing) and non-political (e.g., local team sports, volunteerism). In the U.S. and across the world, people who are civically engaged derive direct mental and physical health benefits and collectively, civically engaged communities enjoy higher degrees of social trust, social cohesion, and resource sharing — all feeding a virtuous cycle that generates even more civic participation. There is broad agreement that civic engagement improves individual and population health and it is acknowledged and operationalized in frameworks such as The Seven Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2030. (author introduction)