Democracy Depends on People Who Show Up

The following is an excerpt from “Democracy InAction: How Citizen Apathy Threatens America and What We Can Do About It,” published by RealClearPublishing/Amplify Publishing on July 14, 2026.

Democracy depends on participation

Democracy, as we have seen, puts everyday citizens at the forefront of America’s system of government. Although politicians get all the attention, citizens are the real power brokers in a democracy. It is often said that it is better to be a kingmaker than a king; in democracies, citizens are the kingmakers. Democracy imbues them with the ultimate power to select who represents them and to bring those representatives home when they’ve outlived their usefulness.

If people are the ultimate authority, it is incumbent upon them to participate in the exercise of that power. Political scientist Lindsey Cormack writes, “A true democracy relies on the active engagement and decision-making of its citizens.” James Madison, writing in Federalist 39, put it this way: “It is ESSENTIAL to such a [republican] government that it be derived from the great body of the society, not from an inconsiderable proportion, or a favored class of it” (emphasis original). But, as we will see throughout this book, civic participation in the United States is depressingly low.

It is easy to understand why many don’t actively participate. One reason is that people are busy. We live in a day and age when bragging about how busy you are is a sign of importance. This, of course, ignores the fact that people have always been busy. Being busy is not unique to modern America. What is unique is its use as a justification to excuse oneself from public life.

Lack of knowledge

Another reason is that politics seems daunting. On the one hand, Americans simply don’t have the information they need to participate. Political scientist Arthur Lupia is blunt in his assessment: “When it comes to political information, there are two groups of people. One group understands that they are almost completely ignorant of almost every detail of almost every law and policy under which they live. The other group is delusional about how much they know. There is no third group.”

In other words, “the mass public appears to know very little about politics, government, and policy.”

And knowledge is critical to participation. Political scientists Michael X. Delli Carpini, and Scott Keeter write: “For citizens to engage in politics in a way that is personally and collectively constructive, however, they must have the resources to do so. A central resource for democratic participation is political information.”

On the other hand, Americans may just see politics as too far gone to bother with it. Psychologist Phillip McGraw writes, “When a problem becomes so large, there’s a tendency to become apathetic. It’s almost like we start to say, ‘I can’t deal with this, so I’m not even going to try.’ [Human behavior expert Chase Hughes] calls it ‘societally programmed apathy.’” That is evidenced in the polling I cited in which nearly six in ten Americans have given up talking about politics because it is too divisive.

For whatever reason, to save democracy (that is, democratic process), take part in it!

Regardless of the reasons for our collective apathy, participation is important. First, democracy, by definition, requires it. When some subset of “the people” does not participate, the subset that does participate may not be representative of the citizenry as a whole. When participation in government is not representative, the result may not be definitional or functional democracy. If only the wealthiest citizens participate, government becomes an aristocracy, with aristos, Greek for “the best,” becoming the wielders of kratos. When only one religious group participates and enforces their belief system into law, government becomes a theocracy, theos being Greek for “god.” For a fully functioning democracy to exist and continue, as many of the dÄ?mos as possible need to participate.

Second, our fellow citizens depend on us for our participation. Legal scholar Philip K. Howard puts it this way: “Democracy itself [is] sustained on the expectation that others will do their part.” Democracy is a team sport. Like every other team sport, each individual on the team must pull his or her weight so the team as a whole can be successful. Without every citizen contributing to our system of government, our democracy’s bent will be toward failure.

Civic participation brings results

Each one of the features of democracy covered in this book is a collective action. It is true that each action explored in this book requires individual contribution. However, each individual action contributes meaningfully to a collective whole, the outcome of which is greater than the sum of its parts. A jury decision made collectively by twelve individual jurors is more than just a trial outcome. It is symbolic of a functioning justice system. The outcome of an election is more than just deciding a single contest between competing candidates. It is a powerful indicator that the governed are holding their representatives accountable.

A third reason that participation is important may seem self-evident, but it is still a powerful outcome. Civic participation is how change happens. If your child is playing on an unsafe playground at a city park, petitioning your local government (chapter 4) for safety enhancements or repairs is likely to lead to the city taking note and improving the safety of the equipment. If your member of Congress is casting votes that are outside what your community wants, volunteering for an opponent’s campaign, getting citizens registered to vote, and everyone voting on Election Day are ways to bring about the change your community desires.

Agents of change

We are fortunate, blessed even, to live in a country where we can be agents of change. We—normal, average, everyday guys and gals—can band together and enact the change we want to see in our communities, our states, and our country. In many places around the world, change is accomplished through violent, often deadly, means. Leaders are not dispatched by voters; they are deposed in a coup d’état. Petitioners and protesters are deemed traitors and gunned down in the streets.

In America, we enact change with ballots, not bullets. For that, we should be eternally grateful. Preserving that system of government for our children and their children should spur us to action. What, if anything, has been holding you back from engaging in civic life?

For more information on Democracy [In]Action, visit https://DemocracyInActionBook.com/. Purchase your copy via Amplify Publishing, Amazon, or B&N.

This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.