andie nachgeborenen wrote:
>Yeah, but I think dispersal plays a big role. Back
>when, working class folks lived together as neighbors
>in the Back of the Yards, drank in the smae bars, hung
>out on the porch, went to the union hall if they had
>one. Now withthe car and burbs, as noted in previosu
>threads, we are dispersed to the winds.
-I agree. There are many reasons for today's depoliticization, but I -don't think it's really a matter of not enough time.
Where is the proof of this "depoliticization"? I'm always skeptical of evoking some golden age.
We have a larger percentage of the population voting today than ever did in the past, given the fact that women, the young and blacks formally disenfranchised have the right to vote. Turnout RATES among that expanded electorate may be occasionally lower than in the past, but people are often comparing apples and oranges when they compare politics today to a much more restricted franchise in the past.
For example, there was a big drop in voting rates in 1972 because 18-20 year olds were allowed to vote for the first time and there low voting rates skewed the overall numbers downwards. The statistics are further skewed because many turnout statistics include felons and on-citizens in the "voting age population."
Given the whole array of civic organizations out there, blogs and other venues for politics, I just think the argument of a drop in politicization is pretty hard to make and at least requires some evidence before throwing it around.
Nathan