>In the general population there is also the fact that people are
>required to work so hard -- long long hours --- that they don't have
>time to be "civic".
People worked harder in the 19th century, and were more engaged. And the average American spends almost 3 hours a day watching TV <http://www.bls.gov/news.release/atus.t01.htm>. So it's not a matter of "having time" in the literal sense.
Doug