DEMOCRACY (IN)ACTION

A political scientist surveys the threat of apathy to democracy in this nonfiction work.

“Given the offensive nature of American politics,” writes Taylor, “perhaps we should be unsurprised that everyday Americans are removing themselves from the political arena.” Per the author, this apathy regarding politics has trickled down to affect all aspects of civic engagement that are critical to thriving democratic societies, from jury duty to community volunteerism. A self-described “accessible scholar,” Taylor opens the book with an introductory essay that counters common misunderstandings about American democracy, such as the claim that “America is a republic, not a democracy” (he likens this absurd but frequently asserted notion to stating that a “Honeycrisp is an apple, not a fruit”). The bulk of the text offers chapter-long discussions of apathy’s negative effects on the pillars of democracy. The topics include obvious categories, such as voting, campaign volunteer work, and advocacy for specific policies, but Taylor also highlights how a gradual withdrawal from politics leads to, for instance, inaccurate polling (while unsolicited polls may be annoying, Taylor emphasizes that they are “critical to our democracy”). A particularly poignant chapter highlights how political apathy translates into avoidance of jury service (one of the most important constitutional pillars), which has profound implications for our justice system. While the book’s contents (including the author’s dire warning that apathy will continue to give way “to a tyranny of the fringes”) are disheartening in many ways, the author expresses hope in the power of average Americans to self-correct in a system that has gone awry. While campaign volunteer work and more overtly political actions are not discouraged, Taylor highlights the ways in which people can reignite a democratic ethos at the grassroots level with small actions that range from embracing jury service and responding to polls to volunteerism and community engagement. The author writes in an accessible style and supports his argument with a wealth of academic and quantitative data.

A well-researched, timely reminder of the centrality of civic engagement to the preservation of democracy.