The Passive Voting Public

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Americans tend to advocate political involvement as an ends; but, when it comes to the means, they tend to get caught up in their own lives and leave the political reformation to "the other guy". The author points out that many experts indicate that, part of the reason for the lackadaisical attitude which pervades American society stems from a widespread disillusionment with the political leadership of all parties and a general distrust of political representatives regardless of their ideologies or backgrounds. The paper stresses that the most seemingly insurmountable barrier to the successful exchange of ideas between the voters and the politicians is citizens who do not know how to exercise their rights and responsibilities and those who do not have confidence in their ability to influence public policies.

From the Paper:

"One reason for the lack of distrust in politicians, other than the obvious media hyped scandals, is the venerable conjecture that personal gain should take precedence over the common good. Individualism, at the expense of others, gradually depletes the common support of community significance, values, and the gathering together of large groups of people to support or oppose certain political views. This lack of community closeness often manifests itself in public apathy. After all, the flow of information and the incitement of political discussion is reliant on the gathering together of various groups of people to exchange ideas."

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