The Meaning of Politics in Mass Society

Abstract

ONE of the signal characteristics of the American attitude towards politics, and one which seldom escapes the attention of foreign observers, is the high degree of citizen apathy. Between the periodic excitements of national elections, political interest remains on a persistently low level. What accounts for this general indifference? In this article, Mr. Rosenberg suggests a number of contributory factors, among which are the failure of politics to command close personal involvement, and the existence of powerful pressures which tend to discourage individual political participation.