[cmurf]

I think it it more difficult than this. The constant refrain on HN is that this is all politician's fault, the media's fault, it's about partisanship, etc. It's always a blame game.

Of course there is a connection between the selfish, decadent, incompetent at democracy citizens that Americans are, and its leadership. And immediately the cognitive dissonance ensues, no one wants to take responsibility. They'd sooner adopt nutty conspiracy theories instead. That's how bad the brain hurt is upon being confronted by a central point of democracy: the correctness of blaming the citizens for the problems of society. And non-participation gives no free pass, it is the path to an illiberal society.