Abstract
We conducted two empirical studies in which we investigated the role of citizens’ identification with their local community in community volunteerism and local participation. Study 1, a correlational field study, confirmed the hypothesized role of community identification as a unique motivational pathway to volunteer in a community-service organization (i.e., the local fire-brigade). Study 2, a laboratory experiment, further substantiated the hypothesized causal role of community identification in local-level social and political participation. The convergence of evidence from field and laboratory data provides strong support for the unique role of community identification in active citizenship. Directions for future research as well as the political aspects of research on community identification are discussed.