The political and popular cultural landscapes have shifted considerably since the 1990s. Back then, the idea of enthusiastically participating in the electoral process and accepting the results, win or lose — “Are you registered, baby?” Deee-Lite’s Lady Miss Kier sang between go-go kicks — was wholeheartedly encouraged across party lines, even by those not watching MTV.
Jingles aside, voting in the U.S. has always been a serious business. It’s sobering to remember that countless people have devoted their lives, and sometimes literally given them, simply to earn the right to vote in the United States. And yet, according to Pew Research Center, only about 66% of the voting-eligible population cast their votes in the 2020 presidential election, one of the most consequential in the nation’s history. It’s hardly a surprise that public trust in the federal government hit near-record lows in 2023.
Read more at UCLA Newroom.