Overview
Read on for some statistics and insights about the level of civic engagement, political engagement and a “state of the state” overview of Indiana.
Katie Glick and Lacey Willard, Co-Chairs of The Indiana State Leadership Council, host their first podcast on their favorite brief, Civic Engagement, offering Circle Leaders and members a choice on whether they want to read or listen to a Policy Brief. In this mini-brief podcast, they provide Circle members with a deeper understanding of American participation in civic life while also explaining how The Policy Circle helps build social capital, a vital element of civic engagement.
Civic and Political Engagement
According to the Corporation for National and Community Service for 2018:
- 34.9% of residents volunteer, ranking them 20th among the 50 states and Washington, DC.
- 1,810,274 volunteers
- 166.5 million hours of service
- $4 billion worth of service contributed
Looking at political engagement specifically, according to this 2018 Wallethub.com study, Indiana ranks #48 in political engagement based on a weighted average across the following metrics:
- Percentage of Registered Voters in the 2016 Presidential Election
- Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2014 Midterm Elections
- Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2016 Presidential Election
- Change in Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2016 Elections Compared with the 2012 Elections
- Total Political Contributions per Adult Population
- Civic Education Engagement, CIRCLE
- Voter Accessibility Policies, Ballotpedia
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Responsive Politics, Ballotpediaand Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, CIRCLE.
Women in Indiana Politics
As of 2018, there are 22 women legislators in the Indiana House of Representatives, and 8 in the Indiana State Senate – for a total of 30 out of 150 seats in both chambers. This equals 20% of the legislature (Source: NCSL).
See how many women serve in Indiana’s executive offices here.
Indiana ranks 20th best state in women’s equality – based on workplace environment (pay, unemployment and entrepreneurship rate disparity), education environment (education levels and math and reading scores), and political empowerment (disparity in elected offices) (Wallethub).
What color is Indiana?
Indiana has 11 electoral votes. Indiana “has been primarily Republican throughout its history, and today is the ‘reddest’ state in the Midwest. Since 1940, it has only voted Democratic in 1964, when Lyndon Johnson won a landslide over Barry Goldwater and again in 2008, when Barack Obama edged John McCain in the third closest race of that election (behind Missouri and North Carolina). Republicans have won by double-digits in the last two elections, with Donald Trump receiving about 57% to Hillary Clinton’s 38% in 2016” (270towin).
State of the State
State Government Structure
The Indiana General Assembly is bicameral, made up of the Indiana House of Representatives and the Indiana State Senate. Since 2011, Indiana has been a Republican state government trifecta, meaning that a single political party (in this case the Republican party) holds the governorship, a majority in the state senate, and a majority in the state house.
There are 50 senate positions in the Indiana State Senate, with each state senator serving a four year term, without term limits. Each member represents an average of 129,676 residents, as of the 2010 Census. There are 100 members of the Indiana House of Representatives. Each member is elected to two-year terms without term limits. Each House member represents an average of 64,838 residents, as of the 2010 Census (Ballotpedia).
Budget process
Indiana operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:
- In May of the year preceding the beginning of the new biennium, budget instructions and guidelines are sent to state agencies.
- In August, agencies submit their budget requests to the governor.
- Hearings are held with state agencies from September to November.
- Public hearings on the budget are held from September to March.
- The governor submits his or her budget to the state legislature in February.
- The legislature typically adopts a budget in April, effective for the fiscal biennium beginning in July. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.
There are no constitutional or statutory provisions mandating that the governor must submit or the legislature must pass a balanced budget. Budget deficits may be carried over to the next biennium.
Indiana is one of only six states in which the governor cannot exercise line item veto authority (Ballotpedia).
Business Climate
A 2018 CNBC study ranks Indiana #16 in terms of overall business climate:
Freedom
Indiana ranks 3rd in Cato Institute’s 2018 Freedom in the 50 states. The overall freedom ranking is a combination of personal and economic freedoms.
Additional Resources
- PEW Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis
- PEW Women in Leadership – see analysis of women in leadership on a national scale
- National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) Fiscal Survey of States
- Compare 50 – pick what stats you want to compare with what states here
- State Data Lab – compare a variety of factors among states here
- Freedom in the 50 States 2018 – Cato
- Tax Foundation facts and figures app is available for download
What You Can Do
As detailed above, Hoosiers have expansive potential for engaging in civic-minded and fiscally responsible activity. By forming Policy Circles across the state, women can lead the way in ensuring that policies are working and responding to individual needs at the local level.
Here’s what you can do:
- Click “It’s easy, start now” at www.thepolicycircle.org to start a circle in your area.
- Read our “Year of Conversation” for an overview of policy briefs on key issues affecting the country and your state.
- Connect with Indiana Policy Review Foundation, your state think tank and best resource for state level information on key policy issues.
- Tell a friend or family member about The Policy Circle by sending them to www.thepolicycircle.org . Any woman who believes in the power of free markets to unleash human creativity can start a Policy Circle in her area.
Deep Dives on Indiana
Want to dive deeper on Indiana? Consider exploring the following:
