Living in a community with high levels of civic engagement is increasingly rare around the world, but especially here in the state of Texas. There are different variations of civic engagement, but in this essay we will define what it looks like in Texas, why the civic engagement problem in Texas exists, and what can be done to solve it. Civic engagement can be as small as volunteering at a local Boys and Girls Club, voting, or serving on a board of directors. Volunteering is anything that contributes to the benefit and prosperity of the community. “Communities with strong civic health indicators, as measured by the Civic Health Index, have higher employment rates, stronger schools, better physical health, and more responsive governments” (“Civic Health Index”). Texas Civic Health"). Records show that sufficient community engagement impacts all demographics. If Texas achieved higher turnout in the eighteen to twenty-nine age group, it would have a substantial effect on policy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Currently, Texas is considered a predominantly Republican state and has been for years. About four million Texans between the ages of eighteen and twenty-nine voted in the last presidential election. Although several million voters seem pretty realistic, this state has more than 28 million citizens. “Political participation remains extremely low. In 2016, Texas ranked 47th in voter turnout and 44th in voter registration. Texas ranks near the bottom in political participation and civic involvement” (“UT News”). Being ranked 44th out of 50 states proves that Texas citizens are not only failing to get involved in community affairs, but also in something as important as voting in our presidential elections. Texas recently saw one of the highest turnout rates in our gubernatorial race for Ted Cruz against Beto O'Rourke. In the end, the Republicans were victorious, but Cruz was definitely struggling to get his money's worth. Beto has been portrayed as an outsider from the start, but his efforts to get the younger Democratic generation to vote and use their voice is what has earned him so much national attention. Not only did he prove that Texas is no longer a solid red state, but that when you give people hope for change, anything is possible. A change that must occur to achieve greater voter participation from young people is specifically aimed at millennials. One of the most effective ways to reach voters under 30 is to positively connect with them on social media. This is where a lot of people get their information without having to read or watch it. Our current president is on Twitter often enough that his name appears in the social media trends section. Whether Texans agree with his views or not, he is doing what he needs to do to be heard by the younger generation. Beto also had a very well-built social media team, which certainly helped him spread his ideas. Additionally, we need to work to make civic engagement seem “cool and fun.” This is a selfish generation and we are always too busy to help others unless we know it will benefit us too. If more than.