Back to Goal 25From Measures and Milestones 2002
p. 72-73, published 2002
Government is only as good as we are, as the late Vic Hellard Jr. suggested in an editorial written during the last year of his life. “The plain fact is, we are government,” he asserted. Responsibility for the quality and the products of government ultimately lies with us. Citizens do not rank this goal among those most important to the state, but they do believe we are making progress, placing Goal 26 7th on the progress scale in 2002, up from 14th in 2000.
Table 1: Where Citizens Think We Stand
The extent to which we exercise our right to elect the representatives who serve as our voice in this democracy provides a basic measure of the health of citizen participation in Kentucky. Until the hotly contested 2000 presidential race, Kentucky had ranked consistently below the national average in the percent of voting-age population that voted in the nation’s presidential elections, and national voter participation rates are widely regarded as poor.
Figure 1: Percent of Voting-Age Population Who Voted in Presidential Elections
In 1996, 1998, and 2000 surveys, Kentucky adults were asked if they had ever worked with a group of people to solve a problem or need. The overall trend of civic engagement regarding participation and leadership in community projects changed little over the time period analyzed. Approximately half of those sampled in these years had participated in a group to help their community, while about 10 percent of these individuals also indicated organizing such projects.
Our research finds leadership development training is associated with a number of positive factors. Those who have received leadership training volunteer more and are more likely to organize others to solve community problems. Thus, these same Kentucky adults were also asked, “Have you ever participated in a leadership development program or course?” At a little less than a third of each sample, the percentage of Kentuckians who said yes has remained fairly consistent over the course of the three surveys.
Figure 3: Percent of Kentucky Adults Who Have Received Leadership Training
The Kentucky Main Street Program was launched in 1979. Administered by the Kentucky Heritage Council, the Main Street Program is, in effect, the facilitator of unique public-private partnerships. To participate, cities must establish a local organization that hires professional staff to oversee the downtown revitalization effort. Further, a governing board comprised of community volunteers adds additional oversight and participation. The program focuses on the revitalization of downtowns through historic preservation and economic restructuring. It emphasizes self-help by making program funding contingent on the development of leadership at the local level united in an effort to improve the historic core of Kentucky downtowns and thus benefit the community and the state. Kentucky communities have exhibited strong interest in improving our downtowns and preserving their historic heritage. However, the most recent data indicate that this interest has achieved renewed vigor for achieving these goals.
Figure 4: Number of Kentucky Cities with Active Main Street Programs
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