Civic Engagement and Patriotism

In: Social science quarterly, Volume 92, Issue 4, p. 1044-1056

Abstract

ObjectivesRecent research has shown a link between patriotism and civic participation. This research assumes that the causal arrow flows from patriotism to civic participation, but a counterperspective in the social capital literature assumes that causation runs in the opposite direction, from civic participation to patriotism. I seek to untangle these relationships by positing a bicausal relationship between these beliefs and actions.MethodsI use a structural equation model of survey data from the 2004 American National Election Studies.ResultsThe findings show that constructive patriotism promotes civic participation, and that civic participation separately increases constructive patriotism. Conversely, I also find that blind patriotism lowers civic participation, and that civic participation lowers blind feelings.ConclusionsThis research provides a fuller picture of the relationship of patriotism with civic participation than has been provided previously in political theory or political psychology. These results are then tied to a current debate about the benefits of civic education and service learning.