Civic Participation in America
Democracy in America is “the rule of the people. ... Hudson believed that, “Participation is an instrument for getting what one wants from government; those who fail to use the instrument will be ignored” (Hudson, 95). Throughout class discussions and research, it is evident that citizen participation has been declining. Civic participation has been declining since the 1960’s. ... Therefore, the United States needs a “developmental democracy” in which we can increase citizen participation while at the same time giving the American public an equal opportunity and civic education. The decline of participation can be greatly attributed to the citizens’ lack of political knowledge. ... The most important factor of civic participation is voting. ... By a span of forty years, the amount of citizen participation cut in half! ... Hudson proved in his studies and writings that many eligible citizens do not care about voter participation. ... There are many factors to the decline in participation and interest. ... “Education is very important because it teaches citizens about their civic responsibilities” (Hudson, 104). ... The Internet is a blessing in many ways but it also hinders civic participation. ... We no longer value citizen participation in America. ... Participation is a necessity for a strong, unified nation and developmental democracy focuses on the needs of the citizens. ... Citizen participation has been steadily declining for the last four decades. ... Developmental democracy is the solution to the problems the nation is facing regarding civic participation. Without developmental democracy, the United States of America will continue to be a nation that has a poor repertoire of civic participation and it will be looked down upon by the rest of the global community.