Political
disengagement is a growing epidemic that threatens the health of the
nation. Take for example the fifty-nine percent voter turnout rate in
the 2012 presidential election and the estimated average forty
percent turnout of eligible voters in midterm elections, reflective
of shocking lack of politically active and present citizens (“Voter
Turnout”). I use voter turnout as a tool to represent the overall
inactivity of the American people because voting is the most basic
form of civic engagement. With a task as simple as participating in
the election of the representative on whose behalf concerns will be
voiced to the federal government, these statistics are a shameful
indication of what has become a trend in recent years.
Voting
is not only the simplest, but perhaps the most crucial form of civic
engagement. It is the democratic right and therefore obligation of
every adult US citizen to cast their vote as a means of utilizing the
say they are given as to the running of the nation. Beyond this, not
voting carries heavy consequences. Political leaders focus special
attention on areas with high levels of voter turnout. They will, in
an effort to be elected or re-elected, make appearances and appeals
to communities wherein they can rally support from individuals who
will provide return. Looking at it from this perspective, individual
actions when it comes to political participation are very important.
They can influence the issues that are addressed by political leaders
and thus an impact can be observed even within the individual's
immediate community or neighborhood.
This in
mind, civic engagement does embody more than simply political
participation. There is a social component to it involving the
ability to connect in communities, joining together in the pursuit of
shared objectives. This social capital involvement, like with
political involvement, has been on the decline in modern America.
This has been illustrated undeniably by a series of studies:
...indicate
that since 1965 informal socializing and visiting is down (perhaps by
one- quarter) and time devoted to clubs and organizations is down
even more sharply (by roughly half). Membership records of such
diverse organizations as the PTA, the Elks club, the League of Women
Voters, the Red Cross, labor unions, and even bowling leagues show
that participation in many conventional voluntary associations has
declined by roughly 25 percent to 50 percent over the last two to
three decades. (Putnam)
This is
clear evidence of an increased absence of involved Americans, even
when it comes to social issues. Grace Lee Boggs laments this in her
book The Next American Revolution and explains how the growing
pattern of civic inactivity and increasing inequality have “made a
mockery of our founding ideals.” The phenomenon is described
similarly by political economist Robert Reich, who cites it as the
loss of the “moral foundation stone on which this country and
democracy are built”. This drifting away from the principles that
were once upheld as the most important to our democratic nation has
caused a series of problems.
