If government is “made for the people, made by the people and answerable to the people,” then some of the people, it appears, are turning away from the job. Many San Diegans told KPBS they are growing more politically detached to preserve their mental health and wellbeing.
Who's tuning out
A local pediatrician, an Independent who leans Democratic, said she has felt helpless and hopeless in the face of federal cuts to children’s programs. She did not want her name used, but said she compensates by hyperfocusing on the deep impact she can have in her day to day work with children and their families instead of lobbying for them on a bigger platform.
A Republican woman, who also didn’t want her name used, said she used to channel her political upset into action. But over the last few years the environment has turned so toxic, she started to feel powerless and simply withdrew.
Others said they are too deeply affected by the daily onslaught of negative news out of Washington and so they must disengage to protect their mental health.
Other reasons for disengagement
There are people who are struggling to get by and truly can’t find the time to learn more about politics and its effects on their lives.
And then there are some, especially among the affluent, who believe no matter what happens politically, their wealth will always protect them and they simply don’t care that others in society are suffering.
Some people told KPBS they’ve retreated from staying on top of the news and stepped back from political participation because they feel like their voices don’t matter.
San Diego Congressmember Sara Jacobs said that’s especially true for newer voters.
“I know for a lot of young people say, 'none of this matters to me, even when you were in power, you didn’t address this,’" she said. "We as a party did not address some of the biggest issues around the cost of living. We here in San Diego know the cost of living has been an issue for a very long time. The party took much too long to realize that was an issue.”
She said she understands the feeling that the system is broken beyond repair.
“'And so yeah go ahead, let Elon blow it all up,'" she said, referring to billionaire Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency. "I think what’s going to happen is that people are going to start to feel actually how much government is involved in their lives. Whether it’s Head Start or Medicaid or Medicare and Social Security. I think we’re going to start to see people feel that no matter how insulated they think they are, that these decisions do have consequences.”
“To recognize that the people who are in power work for you. And that they are accountable to you, but only accountable if you show up and demand that they be.”Kareem Crayton, vice president of the Brennan Center for Justice’s DC Office
What you can do
Historian Heather Cox Richardson suggests taking a break and doing something you love, but to ultimately re-engage, not isolate.
“Making you feel overwhelmed and making you turn away is a key technique of authoritarians," she said. "They want you to throw up your hands and say, 'I just can't think about this,' or worse, to say, 'Everything is so confusing, we need to have a strong man assert control over everything so that once again we have order.'”
Cox Richardson said happiness and socializing are especially important now.
“Because one of the things that political scientists will tell you is that the way a population becomes dominated by an authoritarian is by sucking all the hope and joy and community out of it,” she said.
Ultimately, it comes back to voters — people need to decide that it’s their job to commit to being informed and doing their job as citizens, said Kareem Crayton, vice president of the Brennan Center for Justice’s DC Office.
“To recognize that the people who are in power work for you," he said. "And that they are accountable to you, but only accountable if you show up and demand that they be.”
