Civic Talk

Casey A. Klofstad is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Miami.

"[A]n excellent work that transcends political science, political communication, and political sociology... Klofstad is to be commended for his efforts to overcome analytical biases associated with the study of civic talk, as well as for his focus on young people, whose civic life and engagement are all too often ignored by the political process due to their lack of previous participation. Summing Up: Highly recommended." - Choice "In his carefully constructed study of political conversations, Casey Klofstad provides compelling evidence for the impact of civic talk on the participatory habits of today's young adults. Civic Talk is a well-documented portrait of how our social network can pull us into voluntary civic life and even get us to the polls on election day. The book fills a gap in the literature on political communication and reinvigorates the importance of peers as key socializers in political life... Overall, this book contributes to two distinct but overlapping literatures. The detailed analysis of political conversations addresses a causal question that has stumped a field burgeoning with rich, thoughtful studies. And the emphasis on the role of peers as a socializing influence within the college environment adds a much needed element to our understanding of civic engagement in higher education. Both traditions are enhanced by Klofstad's contribution." - Political Communication

• Preface Acknowledgments 1. Introduction 2. Civic Talk and Civic Participation 3. Does Civic Talk Cause Civic Participation? 4. Why Does Civic Talk Cause Civic Participation? 5. Do You Matter? 6. Do Your Peers Matter? 7. The Significant and Lasting Effect of Civic Talk 8. Peers, Politics, and the Future of Democracy APPENDIX A: The Collegiate Social Network Interaction Project (C-SNIP) APPENDIX B: C-SNIP Panel Survey Questions and Variables APPENDIX C: Matching Data Pre-processing References Index