Martin: Does big government kill civic engagement?


              Two runners jog as the snow falls on Capitol Hill, Friday, Jan. 22, 2016, in Washington. One in seven Americans will get at least half a foot of snow outside their homes when this weekend's big storm has finished delivering blizzards, gale-force winds, whiteout conditions and flooding to much of the eastern United States. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Two runners jog as the snow falls on Capitol Hill, Friday, Jan. 22, 2016, in Washington. One in seven Americans will get at least half a foot of snow outside their homes when this weekend's big storm has finished delivering blizzards, gale-force winds, whiteout conditions and flooding to much of the eastern United States. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
photo David Martin

In closing a column the other week, I teased the idea that since most Americans don't like their political options, there is a success ceiling for civic engagement initiatives whose chief aim is increasing voter turnout.

If voters don't like their options, how likely are more people to head to the polls?

I received a fair amount of feedback on the matter from readers offering thoughts on why voter turnout is low, especially in our area. A couple of responses discussed voter turnout in the larger context of an overall decline in civic engagement, including volunteerism, civic organization participation and even involvement with religious institutions.

It's true that civic engagement has dwindled significantly over the years. One of my favorite reads exploring the causes of that drop is Robert Putnam's 2000 book, "Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community." Since its publication, studies galore have been unveiled, each highlighting the continued decay of American civic participation.

And how do we fare locally when it comes to public involvement? According to WalletHub, which recently named Chattanooga the ninth worst managed city in the country, Tennessee ranked 44th when it comes to civic engagement. Georgia placed 40th, and Alabama 46th.

Yet while most would nod their heads in agreement that we're abandoning the pillars of civic life, there doesn't seem to be consensus as to why that's happening. This is problematic if for no other reason than fixing a problem typically requires knowing why the problem exists in the first place.

An unrelated example: I wouldn't have been able to lose 30 pounds if I hadn't been well aware that the cause of my waist expansion was my consistent intake of thick-cut bacon, fried chicken and craft beers. Humblebrag? Guilty.

Back to my point. Here's where I've been toying with a possibility of late: There seems to be an inverse correlation over the past few decades between the growth of government and the withering of civic engagement. It's important to emphasize the word "correlation," because data supporting a causative association is (to my knowledge) lacking.

But it would make sense if the theory held true. After all, most every civic group that we're familiar with today was created with two, often overlapping, goals in mind: to provide an environment for social interaction, and to solve problems plaguing society.

Focusing on that second item, a key justification for a ballooning government is that as it grows it can meet more needs of the people. Setting aside arguments over which services government should be involved with and how well those services are actually delivered, it is true that today government is responsible for (among many other things) feeding more mouths, educating more minds, housing more people and treating more sick than ever before.

If that's the case - which it is - then it becomes increasingly easy for Americans to shrug off what were formerly civic responsibilities because, well, big government's got our back. Throw in the advent of social media, which tricks us into thinking we're more connected with one another than we are, and we've severely undercut two main reasons civic organizations exist.

With that, who needs PTA? Who needs Shriners? Who needs Jaycees? Who needs the United Way? (Disclaimer: I do believe all the above are immensely valuable. I'm just making a point.)

Most critiques of big government are related to how it chips away at individual liberties. Here, however, it could be argued that it poses a threat to community and this country's civic lifeblood that stretches back even before Alexis de Tocqueville was so struck by America's level of civic engagement.

Contact David Allen Martin at davidallenmartin423@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @DMart423.

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