When and why did Americans become so apathetic about politics?

[BigmanPigman]

[Iggo]

1. They've been trained by the talking box in their living room.

[Chipper Chat]

2. yup

American idol

[steve2470]

5. +1 nt

[NRaleighLiberal]

11. absolutely

[jrthin]

15. Yep. nt

[customerserviceguy]

19. Per Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout_in_the_United_States_presidential_elections

the last time we had voter turnout of over 70% was in 1900. It was below 50% back in 1920 and 1924, and was only 51.1% back in 1948, and that's well before the talking box made it into more than a relative few living rooms.

Something else is at work here, I believe.

[lunasun]

3. Many will never vote democratic. I don't think they can even really tell you why

[steve2470]

4. in the 19th century, before movies and TV and radio etc, political rallies were one of the few....

forms of entertainment. A lot of people would show up, if for no other reason than sheer boredom. From what I remember of my American history reading, a lot of those crowds dropped off in the 1900's. I think TV really kicked apathy into high gear. Too easy to work and come home and tune out the world with TV.

[BigmanPigman]

8. What about the 1960s and the "baby boomers" who were (past tense)

so active?

[steve2470]

12. it was just the time for new forms, and time for activism....

People will still be active politically.

[democratisphere]

6. There is actually way to much politics that is mostly ugly.

People burnout on the constant strife and BS of politics. Politics in America has become disgusting.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

7. The turning point seemed to be Watergate and Nixon

At least that's my experience. People seemed a lot more engaged before that.

I think ignoring politics has been a form of self defense for many.

[steve2470]

14. I agree, definitely a form of self-defense nt

[guillaumeb]

9. Who really cares? That is boring!!

But seriously, apathy is the biggest problem.

[LakeArenal]

10. Some people just like to bitch..

My father bitched about politics his whole 93 years.. I found out when he was about 90 he never voted once... Not once...

Loved ya dad, but, really?

[no_hypocrisy]

13. After 1996 with the Telecommunications Act, allowing corporations

to go on a buying spree of radio stations.

In the late Nineties in NYC, there were three AM stations that had liberal talk radio. Even WABC split time between Rush and non-right talk show hosts. One station was clearly progressive, and that station had loads of callers, esp. from senior citizens and younger folks. They knew the issues, whether they were local, regional, state, national, or international. The hosts were engaging and I became sucked into politics through these shows.

2000 it all fell apart. The progressive station was sold to ABC Corporation and became ESPN. WABC fired its liberal and moderate hosts. WOR went conservative. There was no single non-right radio station on the air on 9/11.

[leftstreet]

16. When politicians stopped responding to citizen movements

and by responding I mean gazing at their television sets and seeing thousands and thousands of people in the streets to protest, say a war, and then doing nothing to end that war, or prosecute the people responsible for it

It's always been the 'job' of elected representatives to legislatively protect and defend (which usually means appease) movements of the people.

Now we can see citizen movements for healthcare, for immigration rights, for human rights...and the politicians do shit-all about it.

So like it or not, apathy has become its own citizen movement.

[AlexSFCA]

17. apathy is going to lose us election in 2018 and 2020

As of right now, it is abundantly clear to me that reps are en route to expand their majorities in the house and possibly senate. The rep base has never been so energized and involved in politics, trump supercharged them, driven by hate. We are not even close to that level of energy and we have no leadership. All of our messaging has been basically against trump. It would be nice for dems to pretend trump doesn't exist for a few months and focus exclusively on economic issues, instead we keep amplifying him and the media loves it.

[shanny]

18. Maybe when they kept voting for things

and not getting them. And/or they kept being promised things that were never delivered.

[LeftInTX]

20. I think cable news is a factor

Citizens began focusing on national politics instead of local.

The US became fixated on Monica Lewinsky's blue dress instead of real issues.

My psychologist, who is as liberal as anyone said that doesn't subscribe to the local paper. I told him, "You need to subscribe". I explained the situation and he agreed.

When we focus on national politics, especially presidential politics, there is naturally a feeling of "helplessness".

The president is the most far removed person in American politics.

He is not your city councilman, he is not your mayor, he is not your state representation, he is not your congressman.

[Kaleva]

21. Your very question is a symptom of the problem

You are looking for a sound byte kind of answer for a question that would require an answer far more complex then can be given in a internet forum. To find the answer, one would need a very good knowledge of the history of the American political system and that would take years of study.

IMHO, people want quick, snappy answers to questions for which there are none and not getting it, they get bored and move on.