The CELS study is particularly interested in the impact of citizenship education on young people. Citizenship education can produce a wide variety of outcomes. CELS focuses on examining:
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political literacy - knowledge and understanding of how the political system, and an appreciation of how to make an effective contribution to public life
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political efficacy - the extent to which young people feel that they can take effective action, broadly defined, to influence the political system
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voluntary action - willingness to participate in voluntary activity in formal organisations and in informal settings
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social norms and values - the extent to which young people have attitudes and values which foster participation, social integration and a willingness to co-operate with others
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identification with institutions - the extent to which young people feel that the institutions of the state (e.g. local authorities) and those outside the state (e.g. political parties) are owned by them and are responsive to their needs, efficiently run and work effectively
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identification with communities - the extent to which young people feel integrated into or excluded from their local communities and the social groups within those communities
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trust in other people and in government - the extent of interpersonal trust (or social capital) and political trust (or political capital) that exists in a society, both of which have been argued to play a vital role in making democracy work (see Putnam et al., 1994)
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a sense of rights and obligations - the extent to which young people have knowledge of citizens’ rights and of their entitlements from the state, as well as the extent to which they accept the citizens’ obligations which underpin these rights.