The Couch vs. The Ballot Box: The Struggle for Civic Participation

As passion runs high on the extremes, so does apathy about this election, about democracy, and about any kind of participation in our civic life. This raises the question: Whose responsibility is it to ensure our civic participation?

In this WhoWhatWhy podcast, I examine the reasons for diminished engagement in American democracy with Yale political scientist Kevin J. Elliott. Elliott argues in his book Democracy for Busy People that many well-intentioned reforms actually exclude and discourage potential voters, especially those struggling to make ends meet. He proposes a radically new approach, emphasizing accessibility, inclusivity, and flexibility, to ensure everyone has a voice in the political process.