Civic Talk and Civic Participation: Do Your Own Characteristics Matter?

Individuals who discuss politics and current events with their peers also participate in civic activities. However, various analytical biases make it difficult to show a causal relationship between these two phenomena. In order to get a more accurate measurement of the effect of civic talk on civic participation, data were collected through a panel study conducted on students that were randomly assigned to their first year college dormitory roommates. These data show that exposure to civic talk causes a person to participate in civic activities. The remainder of this paper examines whether individuals who are already predisposed to participate in civic activities get more of a participatory boost out of being exposed to civic talk. The preponderance of the evidence suggests that this is the case.