Pew Study Finds Four Patterns of Civic Participation in the U.S.
A new Pew Research Center analysis challenges the familiar idea that Americans are simply becoming more or less civically engaged. Instead, it identifies four distinct patterns of participation across politics, volunteering, group membership, news use and religious life.
Published July 16, 2026, the study groups U.S. adults as Mobilizers, Connectors, Spectators and Outsiders. These are statistical groupings based on reported behaviors, not fixed identities or judgments about how people contribute to their communities. Respondents who were not placed in one of the four groups are not shown in the group breakdown.
The four patterns
Mobilizers make up 9% of U.S. adults and are active across nearly every area measured. Seventy-seven percent volunteered during the previous year, 65% contacted an elected official and 95% followed national news at least somewhat closely. They were also especially likely to attend local government meetings and take visible political actions, such as displaying a campaign sign or wearing something supporting a candidate or cause.
Connectors account for 28% of adults. Their participation centers more on community, charitable and religious life than on direct political activity. Ninety percent made a nonpolitical donation, 65% belonged to a group or organization, and 43% attended religious services in person at least monthly. They reported voting in 2024 at the same rate as Mobilizers, 87%, but were less likely to contact officials or volunteer for political campaigns.
Spectators represent 31% of adults. They follow national news at high rates, with 84% saying they do so at least somewhat closely, but report much lower levels of volunteering, group membership and political action. Their profile shows why paying attention to public affairs and taking direct civic action should not be treated as the same measure.
Outsiders also account for 31%. They report relatively low participation across most measures, including news use, volunteering and political activity. But the label does not mean they are completely disengaged: 41% said they voted in 2024, and 24% attended religious services at least monthly.
News attention is not the same as civic action
The contrast between Spectators and Outsiders is one of the study’s clearest findings. Spectators follow the news nearly as closely as Connectors, but they are much less likely to volunteer, join organizations or contact elected representatives.
That distinction matters because news use is often treated as a stand-in for civic participation. Pew’s findings suggest that staying informed and taking direct action are related but separate forms of public involvement.
About 37% of adults fall into either the Mobilizer or Connector category, the two groups most active across community or political life. Their activities look different: Mobilizers combine community participation with political action, while Connectors are more likely to give, join and participate through community or religious institutions.
Party labels do not explain the patterns
All four groups include Republicans and Democrats. Mobilizers lean Democratic, with 57% identifying as Democrats or Democratic-leaning, while 41% identify as Republicans or Republican-leaning. Connectors show the reverse pattern more modestly, with 51% Republican or Republican-leaning and 43% Democratic or Democratic-leaning.
Spectators and Outsiders are also politically mixed: 50% of Spectators identify as Democratic or Democratic-leaning and 42% as Republican or Republican-leaning, while Outsiders are 40% Democratic or Democratic-leaning and 45% Republican or Republican-leaning. The results do not support the idea that civic participation belongs to one party. People across the political spectrum participate in different ways—or participate less often.
What the study can and cannot show
Pew based the analysis on nationally representative surveys of U.S. adults. The main Cross-Sectional Engagement Survey included 5,393 adults and was conducted from July 9 through Dec. 5, 2025. Researchers also used Wave 179 of the American Trends Panel, which included 5,195 respondents interviewed Sept. 8-14, 2025.
The researchers used cluster analysis built around 19 measures covering political activity, civic involvement, religious participation and attention to news. Many questions asked about the previous 12 months, a period that included the 2024 presidential election. Political participation could look different outside an election cycle.
Because the research is cross-sectional, it describes patterns during that period. It does not prove that civic engagement is rising or declining nationally, explain why people participate differently, or show whether one group is better for communities than another. Pew’s July 17 correction notice said chart axes were rescaled but that the figures and findings were unchanged.
What to watch next
The next important question is whether future surveys can track movement among these patterns over time. Researchers may also be able to test which forms of participation—voting, helping neighbors, donating, joining groups, attending meetings, volunteering or following news—are most closely tied to trust and local problem-solving.
For readers, the broader lesson is practical: civic life is wider than elections and more varied than a single measure of engagement. Americans can participate through public action, community institutions, charitable work, religious life or staying informed, while the study also shows that these forms of involvement do not always occur together.
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