Community Works reduces the intensity of partisan polarization

This evaluation of our pilot phase in Virginia (two years) and Georgia (one year) used pre-and post-surveys to compare six counties where Community Works operated to matched counties where it did not.

The study shows that places with Community Works don’t get pulled as far into the partisan divide as similar communities without it. Over the same period when political dislike and division increased elsewhere, these communities stayed more stable. People were less likely to strongly turn against one side or line up all their trust and frustration with a single party. Importantly, this shift wasn’t limited to people who joined Community Works. Even residents who never volunteered with Community Works showed less polarization, suggesting that visible, local civic work changes the overall tone of a community. Rather than changing minds through messaging, Community Works changes how politics is experienced.

The evidence suggests that local, visible civic activity changes how politics is understood. Instead of telling people what to think, Community Works reshapes where politics shows up — less in national shouting matches, more in the everyday work of community life.