Widely recognized as the foremost authority on black politics and the electorate, the Civic Engagement and Governance Institute has a rigorous research agenda focused on the investigation and report on trends and issues related to elections, political party activities, and the staffing of government and other public institutions by people of color; the analysis of voting patterns and party allegiances, as well as the degree of civic activism, among African Americans and other people of color; the degree of minority participation in federal, state and local executive and legislative bodies; the review of developments, initiatives, and activities related to voting rights and other issues of access; and, the engagement of civic and community organizations, as well as existing and emerging tools of political participation and civic advocacy that inform the policy process.

Specific activities of the Civic Engagement and Governance Institute include:

National Policy Alliance

The National Policy Alliance (NPA), comprised of key membership organizations representing black elected and appointed officials at every level of government, was formed in the early 1970s by the Joint Center to provide a forum for discussion and policy action on issues of critical interest in the black community.  Today, on issues ranging from job creation and the economy to environmental concerns and equitable access for quality health care, the NPA is active and engaged in giving voice to more than 11,000 African American leaders and the millions of constituents they represent.

Election Analysis and Public Opinion Polling

Tracking and analyzing the election of African Americans to public office was an important part of the Joint Center’s original mission and today remains a major part of our work. The study of racially polarized voting is key to the Joint Center’s work in voting rights and redistricting, along with analyses on relevant trends such as increasing the importance and numbers of black women officeholders, and generational changes among the ranks of black elected officials. Since 1990, the Joint Center has surveyed more than 35,000 individuals and institutions on a wide range of issues. Joint Center surveys have been widely distributed and cited in the media, books, academic journals, law review articles, and by elected officials. 

FOCUS Magazine

Since 1972, the Joint Center’s FOCUS magazine has provided coverage on national issues to an audience of elected officials, private and public sector leaders, and nonprofit stakeholders. Nearly 16,000 readers, half of who are black elected officials, value the magazine for its analytical, yet straightforward features on politics, economic and social policy concerns affecting African Americans and the nation at large.

Military – Civilian Partnership

In partnership with the U.S. Army War College (USAWC), the Joint Center hosts a series of Army officers as fellows who conduct strategic level research and exchange ideas within the Joint Center and among other Washington area think tanks, academic institutions, interagency, governmental and non-governmental agencies, and the senior military and civilian leaders at the U.S. Department of Defense.  These fellows participate in the Senior Service College Fellowship Program.  Recent military research fellows have explored issues related to the competitiveness of black officers to succeed to General Officer levels, and gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Click here for the publications released as part of this program.

U.S. Census Research

The Joint Center is a recognized Census Information Center (CIC), and was a partner on the 2010 U.S. Census. In our work, we support organizations in accessing robust information about the American public through the national census survey, and train organizations, most of which focus on minority issues, on how to use Census data to answer their research questions.

Economic Security and Asset Building Initiative

As a nonpartisan research institution, the Joint Center offers expertise in a variety of key economic areas and produces a body of work tailored to expanding equality and economic opportunity.  In addition to these research areas, the Economic Security Initiative has been working on a new program, Asset-Building Policy Initiative: Confronting and Closing the Wealth Gap.  Funded under the Ford Foundation's Bridging Economic security over a Lifetime Initiative, this new program is addressing current gaps in existing policies and programs, particularly their lack of focus on the particular asset-building challenges faced in communities of color. Click here for more on this initiative.