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A strong Democracy requires an informed and active citizenry. At the beginning of the 21st Century, just how informed and active are the citizens of Massachusetts? How do business, academia, and politics influence the daily civic life of the average Massachusetts resident? What can be done to reinvigorate traditional avenues of participation as well as investigate and open new ones? The public university is the natural place to explore these questions, especially here in Massachusetts, one of the birthplaces of our democracy.

The UMass Donahue Institute, in cooperation with the University of Massachusetts Office of the President, has created the University of Massachusetts Civics Initiative to address the issue of citizenship and responsibility in our democracy. The Civics Initiative, led by Dr. Michael Hannahan of the University of Massachusetts Amherst political science department, will measure and report on the civic health of the Commonwealth. Dr. Hannahan holds both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from UMass. For the past two years, he has been on a leave of absence serving as a senior advisor to Acting Governor Jane Swift.