PewInternet.org just put out one of the most important survey reports in the e-democracy/open government field in about five years. Here is my in-depth "inclusion" analysis and commentary: http://bitly.com/pewcivic Please share on Twitter and Facebook if so inspired. Direct to the report: Civic Engagement in the Digital Age http://bit.ly/15QZUPK Let's talk about it on Twitter with #pewcivic hashtag. What is your big takeaway? https://twitter.com/search?q=%23PewCivic&src=hash Here is the beginning of my summary: http://bitly.com/pewcivic The new must-read Civic Engagement in the Digital Age study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project makes it clear to me: Accepting “politics as usual” means those who already show up in political life continue to dominate online. Closing the digital civic engagement divide is a challenge for our generation to solve. Every few years, like their Neighbors Online report, the Pew Internet and American Life project releases game changing numbers that help us re-calibrate our priorities and investments to build civic and democratic good. Quick Numbers After many hours of pouring through the report, these are the numbers that stood out to me. Good: 49% of all adults participated in online “civic communication” and/or are a “political social networking site” user in 2012 10% only did online “civic communication” (34% total) 16% only were political sns users (39% total) 23% did both More on the political sns users below – Report author Aaron Smith sent us the breakdown above and other tidbits which are not detailed in the main report. Bad: Huge online civic communication gap based on income - Households over 75K at 47%+, 20K to under 30K only 24% – Almost half the participation rate participating civically online, report shows huge education gaps as well Really Bad: Whites 38% compared to Blacks at 23% and Latinos at 17% – Action oriented online civic communication helps citizens have a voice, power, and influence in democracy Bad Foundation: For offline “civic communication” Whites 43%, Blacks 31%, Latinos 26% - Survey does find better Black – White racial equity with direct involvement in offline civic groups/activities. It is essential to point out that many differences in race are more related to income and education levels than anything else – but the impact is that same, important voices are not being heard. Clift Notes: Everything about the Internet, from raising voices to organizing to information access to convenience, makes it a great equalizer for democratic participation. Today with far greater minority access to the Internet, why is the civic communication gap larger online than offline? The online gap based on race is 3% larger for Blacks and 4% for Latinos. What is it about the design, technical assumptions, perceived relevancy, marketing, and inclusive outreach with online civic engagement that is not working make democracy stronger and more equitable? Why are the clear democratic benefits of the digital age not leading to a more representative and participatory democracy for all? If we seek to engage not just more people from a small pool of the most educated and wealthier citizens, but instead want this digital opportunity to provide more democratic opportunity for all, we are going in the wrong direction. More: http://bitly.com/pewcivic