What is Civic Intelligence?

It's What We're Doing!

Anyone who has closely observed the practices of cognition is struck with the fact that the "mind" never works alone. The intelligences revealed through these practices are distributed across minds, persons, and the symbolic and physical environments, both natural and artificial.

                            - Roy Pea (1993)

DEFINITION: Civic Intelligence describes the capacity or set of skills that organizations and society use to find solutions to environmental (social and physical) challenges collectively. It represents potential -- and activated -- social capability (cf. Putnam's social capital.) Civic intelligence is collective human intelligence directed towards civic aims.

Civic intelligence is active, human centered and non-deterministic. It places people -- not abstract systems or forces -- at the core.

Civic intelligence combines community (bonding social capital) with civic (bridging social capital) networking.

Civic intelligence uses information systems for data monitoring and analysis and for discussion and deliberation. Yet civic intelligence requires intelligent -- and concerned -- people. The technology can't do it for us!

Civic intelligence incorporates principles such as inclusivity, cooperation, justice and other notions beyond that which a simplistic measure of intelligence implies.

Civic Intelligence is not...

An artificial intelligence program that solves our problems for us

A deterministic, fully "rational" approach that denies the legitimacy of other ways of thinking and action

Something that spontaneously emerges

A panacea