Key Points
- This quantitative analysis suggests that the supposed decline in civil-society participation is not geographically uniform throughout the United States. Some lower-income communities have a strong civil-society presence if they are also major regional jurisdictions such as county seats or otherwise geographically isolated and large in population compared to the surrounding area.
- Strong civil-society participation in poorer communities requires a robust sense of connectedness with higher-income communities.
- Modest revisions to the tax code, targeted tax incentives, and a revitalization of the “settlement-house” model can encourage higher-income donors and civil-society groups to engage constructively in lower-income communities.