A key purpose of education is to strengthen the polity. Thomas Jefferson summed it up when he said, ???To penetrate and dissipate these clouds of darkness, the general mind must be strengthened by education.??? The health of Ohio's polity is like that of a middle-aged smoker. This is according to the recently released Ohio Civic Health Index for 2010, which ???measures Ohioans' commitment to civic engagement, political knowledge, and community service.???
Though some of the report's recommendations are dubious, many of its findings are important and serve as a barometer of Ohio's civic health and economic wellbeing:
- Ohio has strong assets in its community leaders and the state ranks first in the nation for its leadership rate of civic-minded people serving as officers or committee members in community groups and associations. The report notes, however, that ???virtually all leaders in Ohio report their race as white.???
- Ohio is relatively poorer than many of its peers. In 2008, the median household income for Ohio was $48,011 compared to the national average of $52,029.
- Ohio's population is shrinking in comparison to other states. Population growth from 2000 to 2009 in the Buckeye State was 1.7 percent, compared to 9.1 percent nationally.
- Home ownership rates have declined in Ohio, from a ten-year high in 2005 at 73.3 percent to 70.5 percent in 2008.
- Ohio ranks 44th in the nation on the number of people over 25 with a college degree.
As Ohio has sputtered economically and fallen further behind in terms of educational attainment, its civic health has weakened. Fortunately, the state's strength is it civic leadership. But there is a growing gap between the leaders and the led, and a serious threat looms that the current crop of leaders won't readily be replaced as they age and retire.
- Terry Ryan
