Causes of Political Ignorance

Politics is everywhere, all around us.

Government officials dictate the price of goods, the conditions of laws, and the peace of mind of citizens… Or do they?

Despite politics playing a large role in how our country runs, the majority of Americans-- I included-- are generally uneducated on its foundations and current relevance.

So why are people so unintentionally ignorant on this topic?

In my opinion, it comes down to three main factors: education, media, and intention. I hope my perspective holds true to the truth of the common people.

First, many people need access to an adequate, well-rounded, and thorough education that teaches the fundamentals of politics. Those in low-income, less fortunate areas are especially victims of this first clause.

Additionally, the media-- tv, social media, news-- fails to provide unbiased accounts of current political happenings. The blatant bias of most sources is found to be a “turn-off” to most consumers. And, put simply, most phone users would probably invest their time in something entertaining and digestible, rather than something intellectually stimulating..

Finally, many people simply do not have the desire to divulge themselves into politics. They care more about other things than worrying about something so “conceptually obscure”. Thus, they do not put effort into learning more about politics.

So, how do we end this epidemic? We must make political information digestible, accessible, and pervasive. Only when we have resources that are easy to read and easy to find for all sorts of people will we end this war on political ignorance?