Why Veterans play a crucial role in revitalizing civic engagement

... high levels of civic engagement among veterans are consistent, national trends. At a time when overall civic engagement is on the decline in America, the veteran population is uniquely equipped to disrupt trends of civic disengagement and to lead a resurgence of community across the country

Dive into the Got Your 6 2016 Veterans Civic Health Index and you'll find a comprehensive (yet not surprising) report on the civic engagement of our Veterans. You won't be surprised that Veterans are more engaged than non-Veterans. You won't be surprised that Veterans have assumed strong community and volunteer roles. You won't be surprised that the civilian community continues to replace its “broken hero” Veteran stereotype with a vibrant, engaging, and civic-focused persona.

Why is this such an important issue? "Civic health is proven to be an essential component of individual well-being, strong communities, and healthy democracy. As one of America’s greatest assets, the veteran population plays a crucial role in revitalizing civic engagement and strengthening communities nationwide. Due to their training, skill sets, and proclivity toward service, veterans are unique models for small- and large-scale problem solving as well as widespread cooperation."

Voting: the most basic form of civic engagement

Veterans are more likely than non-veterans to vote (always or sometimes) in local elections.

• Veterans 73.8% / Overall: 57.2%
• Young Vets: 59.5% / Young non-Vets: 48.7%
• Older Vets: 78.4% / Older non-Vets: 71.2%

(Young Vets are 20 - 49 years old)

Registration and voting in the 2012 election

78% of Veterans were registered and 70.3% voted.  70.5% of non-Veterans were registered and 60.9% voted.

• Strongest Veteran voter participation (fewest percentage points between registration and voting) was in the 65-74 year range with 82.2% registered and 77% voted with the lowest voter participation was in the 25- 44 year old group.
• Among male Veterans, the strongest participation (fewest percentage points between registration and voting) was in the 65-74 years group with 82.4% registered and 7.4% voting. The lowest participation rate in the 25-44 year old group. Male Veterans had an average of 73% registered with 64.5% voting.
• Among women Veterans, the strongest participation (lowest percentage points between registration and voting) was in the 45-64 year old group with 77.9% registered and 72% voting. The lowest participation rate was in the 18-24 years old group. Women Veterans had an average of 73.6% registered with 68.4% voting. 

Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2012 - Detailed Tables

Hosting political conversations

Veterans are more likely than non-veterans to discuss politics with their families and friends—36.4% of veterans frequently talk politics with family or friends, compared to 26.2% of non-veterans. This trend is consistent among young and older veterans alike. Hosting these conversations not only promotes positive discussions and debates, but also demonstrates Veterans understanding of issues, as well as their thought process that is based both on military and personal values and a Veterans ability to facilitate communications and lead such discussions.

Veterans in Politics

In "The Role of the Military and Veterans in Politics," Tim Hsia writes, "Throughout American history there have been notable American political leaders who have served in the military. Some veterans turned legislators played down their military backgrounds or made it a point that they could also view the military through a critical lens. Eisenhower is remembered for his warning of the “military industrial complex.”

According to a 2014 Politico article, 20% of (then) lawmakers have served in the military, the lowest rate since World War II and significnatly lower than 70% in the 1970s. The decline correlates to population trends when more of the population served in World War II and the Vietnam War due to the draft.

Why do we need Veterans in politics? Allen Weh, a colonel in the Marine Reserves, who ran as a Republican for the Senate in New Mexico (and lost) explains, "Veterans who serve as lawmakers are also lauded for working across the aisle, a much-needed skill in today’s partisan environment... Veterans have the ability to bridge the polarized gap.”

The fear is that Veterans will be war focused and conservative. But that is not entirely correct. "Although there is a preponderance of military veteran members of Congress who are Republicans, some recent research suggests that political affiliation among current service members is more diverse....there is no monolithic ‘military vote....on most social issues and questions of how the government should spend money, the attitudes of service members largely tracked those of the civilian population.” Although “older generations of veterans remain solidly Republican,” “among the youngest service members and veterans … there is an even split in party identification with 36 percent identifying themselves as Democrats and 41 percent as Republicans.”

Veteran civic engagement doesn't start and end with politics

Many Veterans won't or don't consider actively serving in politics as their preferred way to carry out their duty of civic engagement. Good thing there's many options of civic engagement:

• Average number of hours volunteered: Veterans: 169 hours / Non-Veteran 129 hours
• Attended a public meeting: 11% / 8.2%
• Worked with neighbors to fx problems in the community: 10.7% / 7.6%
• Gave to charity ($25 or more): 59.2% / 52.1%
• Contacted a public offcial: 16.7% / 10.3%
• 26.3% of young veterans (20-49 years old) volunteer in their communities—a higher rate than all civilians and older veterans. Older veterans volunteer 186 hours annually—the most time of both veteran and non-veteran age groups

Instead of solely asking what we can do for veterans, let us also ask what veterans can continue to do for our communities