The Problem

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.