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.
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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.
