Proponents of community service programs often claim that such programs succeed in educating youth for democratic citizenship where traditional civics instruction falls short. Yet it is not clear that all service programs envision such citizenship as linked to political engagement and participation. It is hypothesized that only service programs that frame service within a wide political context and offer opportunities for public action increase political engagement as measured by feelings of civic obligation. This citizenship framework may likewise be incorporated in traditional social studies classes with similar effects. This hypothesis is confirmed using panel data comparing the effects of different high school service programs and social studies courses. Path analysis, analyzing a subsample of students in a particularly effective service program, shows that political socialization effects remain even when accounting for self-selection processes.
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