#Activist The Four Civic Archetypes
Here’s what each category means in plain English:
1. Mobilizers — 9%
These are the activists.
They are highly involved in many forms of civic and political activity. They are likely to:
• Vote regularly
• Volunteer for political campaigns
• Contact elected officials
• Attend town halls or government meetings
• Put up political yard signs
• Participate in organized political activity
In simple terms: “I don't just have political opinions—I actively do something about them.”
They are only about 9% of the population, meaning the people who are visibly active in politics represent a relatively small portion of Americans.
2. Connectors — 28%
These people are very involved in their communities, but they don't necessarily want politics to dominate that involvement.
They may:
• Volunteer for charities
• Participate in religious organizations
• Donate money
• Help community organizations
• Vote at relatively high rates
But they tend to avoid highly partisan political activity.
In simple terms: “I care about my community and participate, but I don't want everything to become a political fight.”
This is an important distinction because someone can be highly civic-minded without being a political activist.
3. Spectators — 31%
These people are politically interested but politically passive.
They may:
• Follow political news closely
• Watch political events
• Pay attention to elections
• Have strong political opinions
• Talk about politics privately
But they rarely:
• Attend political meetings
• Volunteer for campaigns
• Contact politicians
• Participate in organized political activity
Their online behavior is also relatively private. Rather than publicly arguing about politics, they might like a post, send it to a friend, or discuss it privately.
In simple terms: “I pay attention to politics, but I don't want to participate in it directly.”
This group is particularly interesting because political awareness and political participation aren't the same thing.
4. Outsiders — 31%
These are the least civically and politically engaged.
They are less likely to:
• Follow political news
• Participate in community organizations
• Volunteer
• Donate
• Attend political events
• Engage with political content
But the statement makes an important point: “less engaged” doesn't mean “completely disengaged.”
For example, 41% reportedly still voted in 2024.
So someone could essentially say:
“I don't follow politics, participate in political organizations, or spend much time thinking about government—but I still show up to vote.”
