Civic engagement can often be promoted at the national level, but there are also enriching ways to enact meaningful change at the regional and local levels, too. The resources on this page offer ways to get involved at UNLV and in your local communities.
Citizens in the Present by
Although media coverage often portrays young people in urban areas as politically apathetic or disruptive, this book provides an antidote to such views through narratives of dedicated youth civic engagement and leadership in Chicago, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro.
The Sagebrush State by
Nevada's politics have been formed in large measure by its turbulent history and harsh environment. Bowers' concise volume explains the dynamics of this process, which is strikingly unique among the fifty states. This is a readable and insightful explanation of how Nevada's history has formed its political culture, and how its government works today. The Sagebrush State includes the full text of the state constitution, with extensive annotations of all amendments to the original 1864 document. The Sagebrush State serves as a text for the study of Nevada's history and constitution, which is a graduation requirement at the state's colleges and universities. The fourth edition of this work is updated through 2012 to include information on the elections of 2010 and 2012 and recent controversial sessions of the Legislature.
There are many ways for you to express your civic duty as a student at UNLV. Here is a sample of campus groups and organizations where you can engage on campus:
UNLVolunteers - UNLVolunteers is designed to be a resource for students, staff, and community members by connecting them to community service opportunities and to promote a culture of civic engagement at UNLV.
CSUN Student Government - CSUN Student Government is the autonomous representative governing body of the undergraduate student population of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This well-sustained organization is maintained by three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
Rebel Initiatives of UNLV - The mission of Rebel Initiatives of UNLV is to design and support initiatives for positive change that will improve our campus as a whole, initiatives that will increase the rates of graduation and enhance the life of UNLV students.
Service Learning and Leadership - This is the main page for UNLV curated with resources, information, and opportunities for civic and community engagement. This page hosts detailed information on the following civic engagement opportunities and more:
Lastly, check out the UNLV calendar for campus-wide events and engagements year-round.
Image source: Pew Research Center. (2018). Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 29-Feb. 13,2018 [Infographic]. pewresearch.org. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2018/04/26/10-political-engagement-knowledge-and-the-midterms/
1. Volunteer as an election worker - Poll workers are paid volunteers who serve on election day and/or during the 14 days of early voting. Clark County is currently looking for poll workers especially those who are bilingual.
2. Know your representative - Knowing who your representatives and potential representatives are is important! This allows you to research where they stand on issues and can help inform whether or not you want to vote for them.
3. Attend City Council meetings - Attending city council meetings is a great way to learn about issues in your community and what elected officials are planning, what issues they are dealing with, or what they are proposing.
4. Vote - Voting, including in elections outside of presidential elections, is one of the most significant ways we can contribute to our communities.
5. Volunteer - Volunteering is another way for a person to be engaged with their community. Whether the volunteering is political in nature or not, it is still civic engagement and a good way to get involved in issues you care about.
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