Civic Engagement

Residents are interested and involved in their communities, yet divisions exist

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Overview

As one of the few states in the country where annual town meetings gather citizens for discussion and voting on local issues and budgets, Vermont is home to many civic-minded individuals. These residents take pride in their communities, engage in the democratic process, and value the strong social fabric of the state. While much unifies the residents of Vermont, regular Pulse of Vermont: Quality of Life studies conducted by the Vermont Business Roundtable have confirmed a “persistent and vexing” division among Vermonters. Major divisions correlate strongly with whether or not a person was born in Vermont.

Fast Facts

• In national polls, only 34% of people felt that most others could be trusted, while 71% of Vermonters reported that they trusted most people in their state.
• Only 19% reported that “life in Vermont is getting better,” down from 35% that reported the same in 1990. Working-age males with no more than a high school education felt more strongly that quality of life has declined.
• Native-born Vermonters indicated almost twice as often as their non-native counterparts that the “sense of community in Vermont” has “worsened.”

Read more about civic engagement in Understanding Vermont or get a copy of the entire publication.