Today, the United States does not face a common external enemy, like the British monarchy or the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Instead, cultural changes among Americans threaten to further divide and weaken the country. This long Fourth of July weekend is a time for Americans to recognize the dangers of becoming increasingly independent of one another.
This cultural shift is evident not only in growing partisan polarization, but also in how Americans interact with one another on a daily basis. Americans volunteer less than they used to, spend more time on their own hobbies, but not enough time to help others. In the early 2000s, about 30 percent of Americans aged 16 and older said they They participated in at least one volunteer activity in the past year. By 2021, that percentage had fallen to 23%. It’s not a linear decline, but the overall trend is downward. If current volunteering rates were the same as in the early 2000s, roughly 12 million people would volunteer each year. Many charities say they’re struggling to get enough support and see this firsthand. Charitable giving has declined even further. In the early 2000s, roughly 70% of Americans said they donated to charity, but in 2018, just 50% did.
The reasons aren’t entirely clear. The pandemic has led to a decline in all face-to-face interactions. And some point out that the 2017 Republican tax law change, which eliminated the ability to itemize deductions, led to fewer people claiming charitable tax deductions. But charitable giving had been declining even before that change, and most Americans weren’t giving just for the tax deduction. The larger explanation seems to be a greater disengagement from civic life. Many people are no longer interested in participating in any kind of organization — government, religious, or civic. The U.S. is becoming a “less charitable nation,” the researchers say.
The declines in volunteering and charitable giving have coincided with declines in religious participation, union membership, and births. Suburban areas have seen the largest declines in volunteering over the years. Parents with children under 18 are more likely to engage in formal volunteer work. While many Americans say they help their neighbors informally, such as by babysitting, pet-sitting, or running errands, these courtesy activities are different from formal volunteering, which involves helping strangers or complete strangers.
In the wake of the pandemic and as the Baby Boomer generation ages, it seems more Americans are prioritizing their health (mental and physical health, work-life balance). In general, this is a good thing, but not when taken to extremes. Entrepreneur Michael Karnjanaprakorn recently wrote that today’s status symbols are “long vacations, long attention spans, quality time with your kids, and valuing time over money.” [a] A slow and gentle lifestyle [a] Meeting-free calendars, ample free time, and early retirement [and a] “Your biological age is younger than your chronological age.” Conspicuously absent from this list was any mention of using your free time to help others or connect with new people, despite research showing that social interaction is crucial to overall health.
One consequence of these trends is an epidemic of loneliness. Another is a weakening of Americans’ understanding and sense of connection to one another. The country doesn’t provide as much welfare as other developed countries, but that’s somewhat compensated for by a strong culture of charity. But Americans now meet less outside of their immediate circle of friends and neighbors. Volunteering opens people’s eyes to different socio-economic situations and challenges, and ways to help.
Governments can fill the gap. The United States is the only developed country that doesn’t require employers to provide paid sick leave or paid vacation days. There is no federal law that requires employers to pay employees for the Fourth of July if they close their business. This should change.
But government cannot, and should not try to, repair the fraying of civil society. It is up to the American people to maintain and renew this bold experiment in self-governance. In times of crisis and civil unrest, Americans have done just that. This generation and the next can reengage in their communities, for their country and for themselves.
