ANNAPOLIS, Maryland. — The first-ever analysis of Maryland’s population health (i.e., how well the state’s residents work together for the common good) shows that the Free State scored above average on each of the nine key indicators assessed, but scored lower than researchers expected due to higher-than-average average income in the state, strong education system, and location.
The Maryland Public Health Index looked at volunteering, social connections, voting habits, and political engagement, among other indicators. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given its proximity to the nation’s capital, the public health indicator for which Maryland scored highest was talking about politics. Nearly 46 percent reported talking about politics with family and friends, which is above the national average (about 39 percent) and ranks 5th among all states. The state’s weakest public health indicator was the frequency with which Marylanders eat dinner with their families in the evening. About 87 percent of Marylanders said they eat dinner at least several times a week with their family or other family members, which is below the national average (89 percent) and ranks 47th overall.
Other findings show:
Nearly 30 percent of Maryland residents volunteer, which is about 3 percent higher than the national average (26.8 percent) and ranks 23rd overall.
About 9 percent work with their neighbors, which is slightly above the national average and ranks 26th overall.
More than 68 percent of Maryland residents voted in the 2008 presidential election, compared to the national average of 64 percent, ranking 11th among the states. Voter registration in Maryland was even higher in the same election, with about 74 percent of residents registered to vote, compared to the national average of 71 percent and ranking 18th overall.
About 16.6 percent exchanged services with neighbors, slightly above the national average and ranking 27th among all states.
About 28 percent participated in one or more non-election-related political activities, above the national average of 26.3 percent and ranking 24th overall.
About 40 percent of Maryland residents belong to a group of some kind, compared to the national average of 35 percent, ranking 15th overall.
“Public health is an important indicator of community well-being,” said Brad Rourke, president of The Mannakee Circle Group and author of the report. “Our country is founded on the idea of self-government, which means we need active citizens who engage with each other and with public life. This report looks at a number of aspects of civic health so we can begin to see how to improve the situation over time.”
The 31-page report was prepared by the Mannakee Circle Group, the Maryland Commission on Civic Literacy, Common Cause Maryland, and the National Conference on Citizenship. It is based on an analysis of state data from the National Conference on Citizenship’s America’s Civic Health Index and conversations with Maryland residents across the state during the summer and early fall of this year. The process culminated in a state civic literacy summit on October 23, which brought together hundreds of educators, students, political and organizational leaders at Anne Arundel Community College to examine the components of civic health in the state and make recommendations for moving forward.
“Maryland leaders recognize that our communities become stronger, more resilient, and better able to solve today’s most challenging problems when volunteerism and service become the foundation of our economic development structure,” said David B. Smith, executive director of the National Conference on Citizenship. “We hope that these findings will enable Maryland leaders to use this data as a tool to promote citizen-centered solutions in the future.”
“It is encouraging to see Maryland score highly in a number of categories in this report,” said Common Cause President Bob Edgar. “The most important thing now is to build on these results so that more people vote, register, volunteer, and participate in their communities, which strengthens democracy.”
“The Civic Health Index is important for all Maryland citizens,” said Marcy Taylor-Toma, vice chair of the Commission on Civic Literacy. “We believe it should shape our commission’s goals for the coming year.”
