Policy Brief  

Labor Unions and Civic Participation: How Unions Can Increase Member Engagement

A new policy brief explores how unions help members become more engaged in civic and political life.

A cover photo of the report.

Highlights

  • Unions help foster civic engagement through community, belonging, and shared experiences.
  • Unions serve as “schools of democracy,” giving members practical opportunities to develop and strengthen democratic skills.
  • Digital tools expand union access, but work best when paired with in-person relationship building opportunities that make political action personal and accessible.

In a new policy brief, Tova Wang, Director of Research Projects in Democratic Practice at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, and coauthors Stanislav Rivkin and Eli Melendrez, explore how unions support members to become more actively engaged in civic and political life. The findings demonstrate how community, trusted relationships, leadership development, and collective action can help people build the confidence and practical skills needed to participate in public life. Additionally, the research offers useful lessons for unions and organizations working to strengthen democracy from the ground up.

To read the full paper, scroll up and click “Download the PDF” to the right of your screen.

 

Tova Wang is the Director of Research Projects in Democratic Practice at the Ash Center. A longtime leader in election reform and increasing political participation among marginalized groups, she previously directed policy and research at the Center for Secure and Modern Elections and authored The Politics of Voter Suppression.

Related Resources

Terms of Engagement: Should Election Officials Be Elected?
Headshot of Joshua Ferrer on the Terms of Engagement header. Episode 59.

Podcast

Terms of Engagement: Should Election Officials Be Elected?

On this week’s episode of “Terms of Engagement,” Assistant Professor Joshua Ferrer joins co-hosts Archon Fung and Stephen Richer to discuss his research and explore whether election officials should be elected or appointed.

Terms of Engagement: Should Voting Be Mandatory in the U.S.?
Picture of Miles Rapoport in Terms of Engagement header.

Podcast

Terms of Engagement: Should Voting Be Mandatory in the U.S.?

On this week’s episode of “Terms of Engagement,” Miles Rapoport, former Senior Practice Fellow in American Democracy at the Ash Center, joins cohosts Archon Fung and Stephen Richer to discuss universal voting in the United States.

More on this Issue

Allen Lab Fellow Spotlight: City Charters Are Deliberative Democracy’s Friends

Commentary

Allen Lab Fellow Spotlight: City Charters Are Deliberative Democracy’s Friends

Allen Lab Fellow Tyler Fisher examines the untapped potential of city charters as a vehicle for deliberative democracy, arguing that advocates should work to embed tools like citizen assemblies, participatory budgeting, and town meetings directly into the governing architecture of cities, institutionalizing deliberative democracy one municipality at a time.