CPRN seeks to further our understanding of citizen engagement, how it is viewed and used by different actors in the political and policy process, the institutional environment, the applicability of engagement to different stages of the policy development process, its role in activating and developing communities, the ingredients for success, the barriers to engagement, and so forth.

To this end, we will publish original research and report on important research undertaken in Canada and abroad.

In the context of a growing interest in the need to renew democracy in Canada, PIN is currently planning a research series focusing on youth, civic literacy and political engagement. In collaboration with leading academics, the proposed papers will tackle four themes:

Political and civic participation of young people in Canada

• The state and potential of civic education in Canada
• Challenges and opportunities: how political parties currently engage young people and what needs to change to attract young people to politics.
• Reporting from the front lines: Case Studies on youth engagement