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Connor Barwin's Civic Season

This week, the all-pro linebacker and citizen activist measures how our civic health stacks up against Washington, D.C.

WEEK 4:

Philadelphia vs. Washington

We lost a heartbreaker on Sunday in the nation’s capitol. Diving into the numbers, I was gratified to see that we have a lower crime rate than DC, but  I was particularly bummed to see that they beat us by an almost 2-to-1 ratio in terms of voter turnout. That’s something that’s in our control to turn around. Given that, like Philly, DC is pretty much a one-party (Democrat) town, I wondered what could explain this disparity.

Of course, higher education levels are almost always associated with a greater likelihood of voting and, as you can see, over half of DC’s citizens hold B.A. degrees—more than twice as many as Philly.

But Prof. Richardson Dilworth of Drexel’s Center for Public Policy says that only explains part of the story. “A higher proportion of the workforce in DC is employed by government than in Philadelphia, and many studies have consistently found that government employees vote at higher rates than people in the private sector, and in fact many of those in the DC private sector sort of work for the government in the sense that they work in government-related industries such as lobbying,” he explains. “Also, comparing our 2011 general election to the 2014 DC general election is a little unfair. The 2011 general election in Philadelphia featured an incumbent everyone expected to win. There was no incumbent in last year’s DC election, so on that basis alone we’d expect turnout to be higher.”

Add into the mix the fact that what Dilworth refers to as “high salience” issues were on the 2014 DC ballot—questions having to do with gay rights and marijuana legalization, for example—and it’s not surprising that the nation’s capitol voting percentage was elevated. Still, that’s not an excuse for our own lack of turnout. Come election day, we all need to do better. Do your part by going out to the polls on November 3.

Next week, we take on the New Orleans Saints.

Results

Philadelphia

Eagles

vs

Washington

Redskins

% BA or higher

24.4

7 POINTS

Redskins

% BA or higher

53.5

% Below poverty

27.2

7 POINTS

Redskins

% Below poverty

18.8

% Bike to work

2.1

7 POINTS

Redskins

% Bike to work

4

% Moved to city in past year

4.6

7 POINTS

Redskins

% Moved to city in past year

9.4

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

11

7 POINTS

Eagles

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

12.2

% Volunteer

26.1

7 POINTS

Redskins

% Volunteer

32.2

% Voted in last mayoral election

19.57

7 POINTS

Redskins

% Voted in last mayoral election

38.45

Income Inequality Index

0.51

7 POINTS

Eagles

Income Inequality Index

.53

% of population aged 22 to 34

22.5

7 POINTS

Redskins

% of population aged 22 to 34

27.64

Final Score

14

Washington

Redskins

Final Score

42

Sep. 14
21-35

Falcons

Falcons

Sep. 20
21-42

Cowboys

Cowboys

Sep. 27
28-35

Jets

Jets

Oct. 04
14-42

Redskins

Redskins

Oct. 11
21-42

Saints

Saints

Oct. 19
28-35

Giants

Giants

Oct. 25
21-35

Panthers

Panthers

Nov. 08
21-42

Cowboys

Cowboys

Nov. 15
56-0

Eagles

Dolphins

Nov. 22
35-28

Eagles

Buccaneers

Nov. 26
42-7

Eagles

Lions

Dec. 06
28-35

Patriots

Patriots

Dec. 13
42-21

Eagles

Bills

Oct. 19
35-28

Eagles

Cardinals

Dec. 26
14-42

Redskins

Redskins

Jan. 03
35-28

Eagles

Giants

Civic Record:

EAGLES

Wins

5

Losses

7

Upcoming Games:

Data compiled by Ken Gross, Quantitative Innovations.

All data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey 2011-2013 except: volunteer rates; crime stats.

Voter turnout rates from Philadelphia’s 2011 general election; Washington’s 2014 general election.

More info on the GINI Index of Income Inequality.

* All team logos are property of the NFL and their respective franchises.

Homepage photo: Brian Garfinkel/Philadelphia Eagles

  

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