What is Civic Literacy?

If a person votes in the first election after they turn 18, they will probably be a lifelong voter. On the other hand, those who do not vote in that first election are unlikely to pick up the habit later in life.

Learning about civics increases interest in voting in future elections. Canadians who have learned about institutions and governments and current events have a much stronger intent to vote in upcoming elections.

A third of Canadian adults don’t recall learning anything about civics in school. And the results for several key aspects of civic education are also quite poor. Only a third recall learning about current events (39%), how institutions and governments work (38%), and the roles and responsibilities of being a citizen (37%).  Only 1 in 10 Canadians say they were taught how to discuss controversial issues.

Canadians who did not learn civic engagement skills in school are much less likely to enjoy discussing social issues with their friends and family. Among Canadians who recall learning at least one civic engagement skill, 74% say they like discussing social issues with family and friends. This drops to 62% for those who cannot recall learning about civics in school.

More civically literate citizens are less likely to be influenced by negative and divisive campaigning. More civically literate citizens are also more tolerant of others and their political views. Greater openness and acceptance of different political views can lead to politics where more voices and opinions are heard.