How do different types of people perceive the words "civic engagement" and "democracy?" Go in-depth with experts on new national data.

The PACE Language Perceptions Project seeks to understand people’s perceptions of the language associated with “civic engagement and democracy” work. At best, are we talking past each other? At worst, are we furthering divisions and/or disengagement? In 2019, PACE took its first steps to explore this topic; since then, the world has changed, the need to understand has grown, and the questions about what we do have become more urgent. In November 2021, in partnership with Citizen Data, the Rita Allen Foundation, and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, PACE fielded a nationally representative survey that tested 21 terms commonly used in “civic engagement and democracy” work to better understand how people perceive and associate them.

In this webinar, PACE will release this data and discuss ways others can participate in future phases of the project. It is hosted in partnership with the National Conference on Citizenship’s Learning Circles initiative.