Civic engagement activities are driven by policy expectations and utilities that focus citizen participation with the idea that they will lead to better outcomes. Depending on the level of direct participation, citizens can be categorized from dutiful to engaged citizens. Measures of citizenship, such as fostering a sense of ownership and active social participation, will ensure the sustainability of future societies and have a positive impact on democratic governance and economic development. A systematic review research method was applied to collect and characterize the literature on civic engagement measurement tools from 1994, when social capital research began to emphasize the importance of civic engagement, to the present. The results showed that civic engagement has expanded along with the changing roles and capacities of citizens required by society at large. Measurement analyses revealed that most instruments have very low levels of validity and reliability. When measuring civic engagement among adults who are active in their communities, there is a need to use instruments with a stronger measurement basis. There is a need to develop a civic engagement instrument that reflects the changing concept of citizenship and the nature of civic engagement and has good reliability and validity evidence.