Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Generation Citizen

Generation Citizen

  • After Cuomo Veto, Uncertain Future for Civic Education Fund While State Task Force Moves Ahead

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    (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    In response to several trends, including low voter turnout and civic knowledge, the past few years have seen a sporadic push for stronger civics education in New York and beyond.

    In the spring of 2018, New York City launched a ”Civics For All” Initiative, which “provides resources, programming, and professional learning to all NYC schools. The initiative focuses on education models

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  • As New York Votes, a Push to Allow 17-Year-Olds the Ballot Next

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    Assemblymember Robert Carroll at Monday's rally


    On the eve of Election Day 2017, a state Assembly member from Brooklyn held a press conference focused on voter engagement and turnout, but it wasn’t in support of his own candidacy -- he’s not up for reelection until next year -- or anyone else’s. Instead, Assemblymember Robert Carroll was talking about his push to allow 17-year-olds to vote.

    In the state capital of Albany, Carroll recently introduced a bill, the Young Voter Act, that would

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  • The Most Important Step to Reinvigorating Our Democracy

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    Council Speaker Mark-Viverito (in green) visits a school (photo: William Alatriste)


    As we reflect on the recent September primary election in New York City -- where only 14% of active registered Democrats actually cast a ballot, a 53 percent drop in turnout compared to the 2016 Democratic presidential primary -- we are concerned that the city citizenry is not adequately prepared for responsible voting. But, how can we expect young people, or adults for that matter, to participate in our democracy if we have not educated them to do so?

    Many have blamed turnout woes on a

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  • Bushwick Students Give City's Street Cleanliness Scorecards An Incomplete

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    Bushwick photos by local students


    Walk down a typical street in Greenwich Village or SoHo. It's likely to be clean of debris and garbage — in fact, there's a 93 percent chance the sidewalk is "acceptably clean," according to city records.

    Now walk down a typical street in Bushwick. According to the City, it's not all that different — there's an 89 percent chance that the sidewalk is clean.

    To some young Bushwick residents, that's a finding that doesn't match reality.

    Fed up with having to walk around discarded soda bottles, plastic bags, and

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