In this article the authors suggest that civic skills and civic knowledge are key components of the political information perception process and try to determine the differential effects of these variables on civic engagement. Starting from a model proposed by Torney-Purta, Lehmann, Oswald & Schulz, they developed an alternative model to explain the likelihood to vote in the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement Civic Education Study Standard Population of 14 year-olds tested in 1999. Results indicate that home environment and school-related factors predict civic knowledge and skills equally well. However, the direct effects of civic knowledge on likelihood to vote appear to be stronger than the corresponding effects of civic skills in 23 out of 28 countries. The evaluation of total effects highlights the meaning of an open classroom climate for discussion with reference to the likelihood to vote.