Greg Zoeller, former Indiana attorney general, discusses the findings of the 2017 Indiana Civic Health Index on Friday at IPFW. Courtesy photo by Andrew Downs/IPFW
At a glance
Here is how Indiana compared with the rest of the nation for participation rates in selected community engagement activities during 2016:
| Activity |
Percentage |
Rank |
| Eating dinner with family |
92.7 |
3rd |
| Talking about politics |
30.4 |
18th |
| Volunteering |
28.7 |
22nd |
| Attending public meetings |
8.1 |
29th |
| Election turnout |
58.3 |
41st |
Source: 2017 Indiana Civic Health Index
Former Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said Friday at IPFW that he used to call democracy a participatory sport.
“You don't have a democratic system without participation,” Zoeller told students at the Liberal Arts Building.
The 2017 Indiana Civic Health Index shows that Hoosiers' participation has improved in recent years.
“Things are better,” said Randall Shepard, former chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. “Indiana on most measures is a little higher than average” among all states.
Shepard and Zoeller led a classroom discussion of the Civic Health Index, which found that Indiana residents like to talk about politics – 18th-highest rate nationally – but don't follow through in voting booths. The state ranked 41st nationally in election turnout last year after finishing last in 2014.
The third edition of the index was produced by the Indiana Bar Foundation, the Indiana Supreme Court, Indiana University, IUPUI and the National Conference on Citizenship.
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