ons the United States? For example, when the final election results have already been tabulated and announced in New York, the polls are still open in California. Once people on the west coast know who is winning and who is not, are they more inclined to feel they don't need to bother voting? Granted this scenario can also be reversed. It could be argued that if people on the west coast see that their preferred candidate is losing, they might be more likely to vote in order to show support. Nonetheless, this should be taken into consideration. The media must also make changes in the way it conducts its political reporting and analysis. A cerebral balance must be found between reporting the news, and making the news, as seen with Florida controversy. Sensationalism and hype have become the new definition of "newsworthy," and negativity has become network news. We cannot afford to have this continue. Yet another speculation as to why Americans have such a relatively low participation in politics is call the “sleeping dogs” theory. This states that participation need only be “intermittent and potential” for a democracy to function. Most leaders in a democracy are fully aware that citizens lack a rooted political following. Correspondingly, most politicians will work in an effort to keep the undisturbed public in a placid state. However, they are conscious that society may become riled by things such as depression, unpopular war, or high unemployment. In this case, the citizens will react by voting them out of office at the next election. Accordingly, officials aim to keep the public tranquil, and are pleased with no reaction at all (Roskin 113.) This underlying rationale is perhaps the most prominent cause affecting voters. In essence, many Americans could simply be content with the present condition of the country, and the how the government is being operated. Theorists state that a democratic cult...
