New Hampshire

New report reveals steep drop in civic engagement in N.H. – The Boston Globe

Published

1 year ago

October 14, 2024

New report reveals steep drop in civic engagement in N.H. – The Boston Globe

With a major election just around the corner, researchers with the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire have released an updated status report on how signs of civic health in New Hampshire have shifted over the past four years.

Quixada Moore-Vissing, a UNH faculty fellow, said the research team decided to follow up on the work they published in 2020, after seeing several major events — including the COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and nationwide demonstrations for racial justice, the presidential election, and the attack on the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — that could significantly influence the way people see themselves and their political context.

“We thought to ourselves, ‘Wow, we really need to figure out what’s going on with civic health more immediately than waiting a few more years, as we usually do,’ because there have been so many things that could affect how we’re interacting across civic engagement in New Hampshire,” Moore-Vissing said during a Q&A session.

Their hastened research, which was released Oct. 7, found a harrowing drop: The percentage of Granite Staters who reported feeling they matter to their communities fell 33 percentage points in just four years, from 76 percent in 2019 to 43 percent in 2023.

The numbers suggest the declines were particularly dramatic among those aged 50-64 and those who live in the North Country, though more research is needed to understand the trends on a granular level, Moore-Vissing said.

There were other signs that people are connecting less with those around them.

The percentage of Granite Staters who reported frequently hearing from or spending time with family or friends slipped 4 percentage points, from 85 percent in 2019 to 81 percent in 2021.

Meanwhile, the percentage of those who frequently do favors for neighbors fell from 11 percent to 5 percent, who worked with neighbors to do something positive for a neighborhood or community dipped from 27 percent to 21 percent, and who attended a public meeting fell from 19 percent to 12 percent.

“I think the question here is, ‘Is this decline in social connectivity temporary due to the pandemic?’ We certainly hope so,” Moore-Vissing said. “But this could also be connected to some bigger-picture issues.”

Perhaps political divisiveness at the national level is trickling down into local communities, or perhaps the rise and durability of remote work is a factor, she said.

“The fact is we really don’t know what’s behind these declines … we want to keep an eye on this,” she added.

As many residents confront concerns over the affordability of housing, child care, and health care, the researchers noted that economic factors can influence civic health.

“Those disproportionately affected from high-burden costs may have difficulty prioritizing other needs and may be less inclined to participate in public life,” Michele Holt-Shannon, director and co-founder of New Hampshire Listens, said in a statement.

“But as the state’s population continues to grow, so can people’s ability to connect and feel like they belong,” Holt-Shannon said. “When residents feel they belong, they’re more likely to feel included in their community, express their thoughts and opinions, and feel able to influence decisions.”

The full reports from 2024 and 2020 are available online, as is a guide for nurturing civic health at the local level.

A version of this story first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.

Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.

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New Hampshire

Cher’s Son Arrested Twice In The Granite State | Child Rapist Gets 15 To 30 | Crashes: Nearby News NH

Published

8 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Cher’s Son Arrested Twice In The Granite State | Child Rapist Gets 15 To 30 | Crashes: Nearby News NH

CONCORD, NH — Here are the Top 10 most popular stories and posts from around New Hampshire Patch sites last week.

Elijah Blue Allman Arrested Again In New Hampshire, Charged With Burglary In Windham After Concord Incident: After being accused of assault at St. Paul’s School, the son of Cher and the late Gregg Allman was arrested for mischief, breach in Windham.
Elijah Blue Allman Arrested After Incident At St. Paul’s School In Concord: The son of Cher and the late Gregg Allman was accused of threatening, trespassing and assault in New Hampshire.
Man From Concord Sent To Prison After Raping, Taking Pictures Of Young Girls In 2022 And 2023: Follow-Up: Jonathan Shaw of Concord pleaded guilty to sexual abuse images and sexual assault charges and was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison.
Downtown Shooting | How Much Income Makes Someone ‘Rich’ | Sex Sale Gone Bad On Facebook? Nearby News NH: Also: Teen accused of “unprovoked” attack; meth distributor sent to prison; Boston MedFlight relocates; DUI arrests; wrestling results.
4-Vehicle Crash On The Concord Heights Sends Drivers To The Hospital: Video: 2 drivers were taken to Concord Hospital after a multi-vehicle crash on Loudon Road on Wednesday afternoon.
Third Arrest Made In Facebook Cleaning Services Or Sex Sale Gone Bad Stabbing Case In Manchester: Melysia Caron, a Queen City career criminal with several convictions and suspended sentences, faces robbery, kidnapping, and other charges.
Mass. Man Seriously Injured After Being Struck While In I-93 Breakdown Lane: NH State Police Roundup: Londonderry man arrested after domestic incident, standoff. Plus, arrest blotters from around the Granite State.
Concord Police Investigating Minivan Crashing Into Guardrail And Down An Embankment: The driver, a man from Epsom, was taken to Concord Hospital on Thursday night after a crash at Route 106 and Loudon Road.
Man Struck In Breakdown Lane | Thief Accused Of Robbery | Income Tax Proposal Floated For Schools: PM Patch: Declining pool of nurses raises concerns; NH DOS settles sexual harassment lawsuit; child advocate nominee praised and criticized; more.
Cher’s Son Arrested Again In NH, Accused Of Burglary | Freezing Rain, More Snow Coming | More: PM Patch NH: NH wrestlers head to New Englands; fun things to do; historical society to get climate control upgrade; nonprofits get $1.8M from casino.

Here are some other posts readers may have missed:

Identity Of 1986 Human Remains Found In Bristol Confirmed Via DNA Investigation

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New Hampshire

Donna Soucy: The road to 2028 runs through New Hampshire

Published

20 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Donna Soucy: The road to 2028 runs through New Hampshire

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New Hampshire

School health insurance rates are increasing across New Hampshire. There’s more at play than just GLP-1 weight loss drugs

Published

1 day ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

School health insurance rates are increasing across New Hampshire. There’s more at play than just GLP-1 weight loss drugs

Duane Ford has managed budgets for the Bow and Dunbarton school districts for more than a decade, but nothing quite prepared him for this year’s health insurance bill: a 16% jump in premiums, the steepest increase he’s ever seen. “It’s a part of the budget that we don’t have any control over,” he said. The […]

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