EDITORIAL: Poll shows we get government we deserve

We live in amazing times. We have access to an unprecedented amount of technology, which gives us equally unprecedented access to information. We can find out virtually anything we want or need to know, anytime, virtually anywhere we go, and we can share our findings — and our thoughts and opinions about those findings — with countless people, many of whom are doing the same exact thing.

With all of this information at our fingertips, you’d think we’d be more engaged. You’d think we’d be more excited than ever to stay informed and honor the duties of citizenship.

Sadly, you’d be wrong.

According a new Associated Press-GfK poll, Americans don’t feel obligated to keep up with news and public issues anymore. Only 37 percent say it’s very important, which is a nearly 20 percent drop from those polled in 1984. In fact, a fifth of those polled say there’s no obligation whatsoever to stay fully informed. And our young people — despite being highly dependent on access to information — are the least likely to feel that they ought to know what’s going on.

It’s not a coincidence that more Americans are ignoring the news at the same time more Americans express unhappiness with government. In Gallup’s annual “Mood of the Nation” poll, conducted in January 2014, two-thirds of Americans said they were dissatisfied with government and how well it works, and two-thirds said they were unhappy with the size and power of government. When Gallup conducts its next “Mood of the Nation” poll in a few weeks, don’t be surprised to see the numbers get worse.

There appears to be a vicious circle here, with Americans’ increasing unhappiness with government feeding an increasing distrust of government and, ultimately, an increasing disinterest in keeping up with current events.

Sure, we love to criticize our leaders as much as ever. And, yes, they give us plenty of ammo with which to criticize them. But what are we really doing with that information? Aside from griping to anyone who’ll listen, posting snarky comments on Twitter or getting into arguments on Facebook or a news site’s comments section, the answer is, increasingly, not much.

Online bickering has become a national pastime, and media outlets have responded by giving us more opportunities to participate in echo chambers that make us feel like we are doing something when we’re really not. Sure, as the poll says, most Americans believe that doing something as simple as voting is important, but fewer and fewer of us are actually doing it. And the less engaged we are at the polls, the less accountable government becomes. It should come as no surprise, then, that are we are getting the government we deserve.

If Americans become more engaged, government will have to be more responsive and accountable. But that will take some work.

It’s interesting that, according to the AP/GfK poll, young people are more willing to volunteer while being highly disengaged from current events. Older folks will grumble about irresponsible kids, but maybe the younger generations believe their service is a more reliable way to make their communities better, rather than relying on overpriced, politicized, dysfunctional government. And who can blame them?

We can’t expect things to get better if we don’t keep up with what our government is up to. That’s the main reason why news organizations fight so hard for public access to records and meetings. That said, news outlets must do a better job explaining to their audiences why they should care about particular stories. If these polling numbers continue to get worse, we’re all in a heap of trouble.