About

What is the
Civic Profile?

The Civic Profile is an online educational and research tool designed to help Americans explore the question: What kind of citizen am I? Akin to a “civics Meyers-Briggs”, the Civic Profile is an interactive quiz that holistically measures users’ civic identities across three dimensions: values, knowledge, and engagement. It doesn’t give grades or pass judgment; rather, the Civic Profile is meant to help Americans recognize that democracy requires many different voices, choices, and actions.

The Civic Profile also responds to declining public trust, rising partisan division, and widespread gaps in civic knowledge as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary. The project began in May 2024, when the Hoover Institution’s Working Group on Civic and American Citizenship first explored the idea of a citizenship self-assessment. The tool was prototyped at the National Forum of Civic Learning Week in March 2025, tested nationally through multiple YouGov surveys over Summer and Fall 2025, and finalized for launch in March 2026.

It is intended as a living instrument, evolving to measure new forms of participation and emerging civic challenges as democratic life changes.

How can I use the
Civic Profile?

The Civic Profile is designed for multiple uses and audiences, and can be taken individually or in groups.

Individual self-reflection: Explore and reflect on your unique civic identity, values, knowledge, and engagement patterns.
Schools and colleges: Classroom-ready tool with teaching materials and lesson plans being developed by our institutional partners. Resources will be added to the “Resources” page over time, with full educator materials expected for the 2026–27 academic year.
Research and public insight: Generates nationally benchmarked, longitudinal data on Americans’ civic life, accessible through the Data Dashboard and annual reports (2025 report forthcoming).

Create or join
a cohort

The cohort feature enables classrooms, families, civic organizations, and workplaces to take the quiz as a group. Participants receive individual results, and the group receives aggregated results that can be compared to national benchmarks.

Create a Cohort

Click “Take the Survey” on the homepage. 
Before starting the survey, select “Create a New Cohort.” 
Enter a Group Name and (optionally) your email address. 
The system will generate a 4-digit cohort code. Share this code with others so they can join your group.

Join a Cohort

Enter your 4-digit cohort code and click “Begin.” 
You may also join a cohort after completing the survey by entering the 4-digit code on your Civic Profile results page.

About Us

The Civic Profile reflects the combined efforts of the Hoover Institution’s Center for Revitalizing American Institutions (RAI), the Working Group on Civics and American Citizenship, and a dedicated group of Stanford partners, including undergraduates, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, Hoover Institution fellows, and a number of external advisors and partners. This project is part of RAI’s broader efforts to understand the crisis of trust facing American institutions and develop practical interventions for improving their effectiveness.