With President Donald Trump’s recent executive order affecting voter rights, now, more than ever, is the time to start caring about politics.
Over the past few weeks, the Trump administration has made a slew of changes to America’s foundation. From governmental cuts and changes to our education system, America is rapidly changing; however, some people don’t seem to care. Whether it’s apathy, fear or general nihilism, those attitudes need to change.
In 2024, the Survey Center on American Life found that around one in four Americans didn’t care about the then upcoming election. People like them are called political “bystanders,” and they span the political spectrum. They still have values and beliefs and follow some political happenings; however, they don’t actively participate in the political sphere.
But who can blame them when they don’t believe their government has their needs in mind?
Another study by Public Agenda found that about one-third of the population feels politically alienated, meaning they don’t believe policymakers care about their interests. While the study says that those voters still planned to vote in a later election, this feeling of alienation can lead to apathy, which, down the line, may cause an overall disinterest in politics. People don’t realize that these attitudes will only further the cycle of alienation as policymakers will never know what they want if they never speak up.
Though most prominent, these ideas don’t start in adulthood. In fact, the seeds for political disengagement may start before people even know what voting is.
On Nov. 5, 2016, three days before the 2016 election, a popular children’s show, Henry Danger, premiered its episode “The Trouble with Frittles.” In the episode, the main protagonists fight over which chip flavor, red or blue, should be the next permanent flavor of the Frittles line. Charlotte, the “smart one” of the cast, gives a speech about how even when a new chip flavor is created, nothing ever changes, going on to discuss that one’s favorite chip flavor shouldn’t change your view on them.
While these ideas may sound rational when it comes to chips, this apathy only makes things worse when it comes to politics.
When people believe their voices don’t matter, it’s almost a self-fulfilling prophecy: their inaction is essentially an action for the party or ideals they oppose. Even if they believe they “don’t care” or “nothing changes,” their actions still affect everyone else, especially in recent times.
This political disengagement, while concerning, can be fixed.
Going back to children’s media, Nickelodeon also had a section of specials during its programming block dedicated to politics titled “Kids Pick the President” (KPTP). During the specials, adults and children discussed the candidates, their policies and their values before “voting” for the candidate they’d like. By giving kids a palatable way to learn about politics, the ideas they learn here are more likely to persist into adulthood.
Alongside media initiatives, education initiatives would also help mitigate the issue. Organizations like The League of Women Voters and the AASCU provide voter education programs aimed to introduce people to politics and help them know their rights. As these organizations meet people where they are, people are more receptive to their methods and are more likely act on they’ve learned.
While these examples may target different groups, both methods are important to help educate people on the importance of being involved in politics.
Things are rapidly changing. Whether they’re fearful or excited, Americans need to realize that this issue is bigger than political affiliation.
They need to realize that if they aren’t using their voice, they’re contributing to the issues at hand.
