There are signs, states Professor Skocpol, that our current war may not have the same lasting beneficial effects on civic engagement. Surveys conducted before and after September 11, 2001, show American civic feelings increased; at the same time, however, civic behaviors showed a less marked increase.

According to Professor Skocpol, three factors have to combine for a war to have a major, lasting impact on what people do in the realm of civic engagement:

• There is always an upsurge of civic patriotism at the outbreak of each conflict.
• The government needs to call for mass participation.
• Existing associations have to allow people to come together for joint efforts.

But since 9/11, the government has not asked Americans to do much:

• The current war against terrorism requires little mass participation in military efforts.
• Biological threats and threats to our borders seem to call for professional expertise above all.
• Leading politicians are ambivalent about government and taxes —and cannot decide what to ask people to do, except to take more vacations and spend money to revive the economy.

In recent decades, American voluntary and civic organizations have changed fundamentally, in ways that offer fewer channels for active citizen participation:

• Nationwide membership associations with local chapters used to predominate — groups like the PTA, the American Legion, and the Elks. But now America has lots of national advocacy groups and nonprofit institutions.
• Except for churches, many of today’s associations are run by professionals — who want checks sent in by mail, rather than members who meet and work together.

More than a year later, the most recent national surveys suggest that post 9/11 attitude changes are beginning to fade. Failing to find good ways to act on their newfound willingness to get involved, Americans were left on their own, and are now returning to more individual pursuits and worries. Perhaps a moment of opportunity was lost – when the new solidarity we all experienced after 9/11 might have been channeled into shared civic activities, but wasn’t.