In my recent piece in the Behavioral Scientist, I explain how to reduce the barriers associated with taking political action, encourage citizens to stay focused, and sustain political engagement over a lifetime.
With the 2018 midterm elections looming, the stakes are high in American politics. Republicans aim to maintain control of Congress, and Democrats seek to win key elections to flip both chambers. Several new grassroots campaigns — largely organized by high-school students in response to the Parkland shooting — seek to address gun safety by mobilizing citizens to join large-scale political demonstrations across the country in March and April. Common sense might tell us that such high stakes would lead to high turnout and engagement across a variety of political actions throughout this election year. Unfortunately, research indicates that high political stakes don’t always translate to high levels of citizen engagement.
Click here to read the piece in full.