Using Community-Based Research to Encourage Student Engagement with Local Government

A case study is used to explore the creation of a civic engagement class focused on community-based research. The case is the State and Local Politics class at a private liberal arts university with an enrollment around 2,000 students. However, the author argues that the lessons learned and questions raised are relevant for any social science class in any sized public or private institution interested in promoting civic engagement. Students were organized into groups that were attached to a government partner in the city. Through meetings with their partner each group created a survey of 15 to 20 cities designed to uncover best practices being used in particular policy areas. This study provides actionable insights for enhancing community-based research pedagogies to improve the skills identified by past scholarship as important for increasing civic engagement among our students.