Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement

Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement is an American research center based at Tufts University that studies civic learning, political participation, and civic engagement among youth and adults. The center produces empirical studies, datasets, policy briefs, and program evaluations that inform educators, policymakers, and nonprofit leaders about participation trends, service learning, and electoral behavior. Its work intersects with organizations, institutions, and events across the United States and internationally.

History

CIRCLE was established in 2001 at Tufts University's Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life by scholar Peter Levine after research on youth participation following the 2000 United States presidential election and the Student Vote initiatives. Early collaborations included projects with Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and the National Commission on Civic Renewal. The center expanded during the 2004 and 2008 United States presidential elections with partnerships involving Pew Research Center, The New York Times, USA Today, and CNN. In the 2010s, CIRCLE contributed analyses used by Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, and the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) collaborators. Leadership transitions involved scholars affiliated with Harvard University and MIT networks and ties to policy bodies such as the Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Mission and Activities

The center's mission emphasizes rigorous empirical study of civic learning and civic engagement among young people and adults in contexts such as schools, universities, community organizations, and electoral campaigns. Activities link academic partners like Columbia University, Yale University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, and University of California, Berkeley with practitioners from AmeriCorps, Rock the Vote, League of Women Voters, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The center informs policymakers at state legislatures, the United States Congress, and municipal governments, and contributes to international dialogues at forums with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Council of Europe, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Research and Publications

CIRCLE produces quantitative reports, qualitative case studies, working papers, and datasets used in scholarship cited by authors at Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and journals such as American Political Science Review, The Journal of Politics, and Educational Researcher. Notable publications analyze youth voting behavior in contexts like the 2008 United States presidential election, 2016 United Kingdom general election, and the 2019 Indian general election comparisons. The center's datasets have been used alongside surveys by Pew Research Center, Gallup, Annenberg Public Policy Center, and the Cooperative Congressional Election Study. CIRCLE's policy briefs have informed reports for the Bipartisan Policy Center, Aspen Institute, and the National Academy of Sciences.

Programs and Initiatives

Initiatives include voter registration drives, civic education program evaluations, and service learning assessments conducted with partners such as Teach For America, Facing History and Ourselves, and National Writing Project. The center administers studies of collegiate civic engagement aligned with the Eisenhower Foundation and manages projects assessing impacts of legislation like the Help America Vote Act on youth participation. It has convened symposia featuring speakers from John F. Kennedy School of Government, Brookings Institution, Cato Institute, and Heritage Foundation, and has run training workshops with National Association of Secondary School Principals and Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnerships have come from a mix of private foundations, academic institutions, and government agencies, including grants from Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and support from Tufts University endowments. Collaborative research projects have involved Pew Research Center, RAND Corporation, Urban Institute, and international partners such as University of Toronto and University of Oxford. The center has worked with election-focused nonprofits like Rock the Vote and civic technology firms connected to Google, Microsoft, and Civic Technologies ecosystems for data-sharing and outreach.

Impact and Reception

CIRCLE's empirical contributions have been cited in media outlets including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and policy discussions in United States Congress hearings. Scholars at Harvard Kennedy School, Stanford University, and Michigan State University have used its datasets for studies on turnout, civic curriculum, and social capital. Evaluators at OECD and program officers at MacArthur Foundation have referenced CIRCLE reports in recommendations on youth civic education. Critiques from some commentators at National Review and The American Conservative debated interpretations of civic learning impacts, while proponents in Education Week and The Chronicle of Higher Education highlighted the center's methodological rigor and influence on practice. Category:Research institutes in the United States