America is all set to march into the midterm elections due this November. Therefore, while the nation’s population divides itself among the Democrats and Republicans, a small group of Americans is choosing to pay as little attention as they can to the upcoming elections as well the melee surrounding the same.
According to Political Typology Report by US based Pew Research Center, on an average of 1 out of 10, i.e. at least 10% of Americans, are least bothered about the nation’s political plans and choose to remain as Bystanders. This group admits to never registering itself for vote or following government/public affairs earnestly as well. The group also mentions that it has never contributed money for a candidate who ran for public office. Therefore, as the Liberals and Conservatives fight it out on the electoral battlefield; these Bystanders prefer to watch from the sidelines.
The report suggests that most Bystanders tend to prefer the Democratic Party to the GOP. However, they seem to have an equal mix of conservative and liberal attitudes. Therefore, while they pity the poor, they feel that government aid would only do them more harm. While having liberal views on topics like homosexuality and same sex marriage, they tend to be conservative when it comes to issues like legalization of abortion.
Almost 38% of these Bystanders are below 30 years of age while 32% are Hispanic. A third of the group accounting for 29% of Bystanders is foreign born, with its members not being American citizens.
When asked about their interests pertaining to several topics related to politics and governance, over 73% of Bystanders revealed that they are not interested in both while 66% of them revealed that they were not interested in finance and business. The topics that interest these Bystanders include celebrities, health, science and entertainment. Over 64% of Bystanders revealed that, they liked entertainment and celebrities while 35% of them are attracted to video games and call themselves video/computer gamers.
The survey conducted by the Pew Research Center also indicated that when asked a question pertaining to politics, the most likely answer a majority of Bystanders would give would be ‘don’t know’ or ‘never heard of it’. Some of them also tend to ignore these questions altogether and move onto the next ones they have answers to.
The recent Political Typology Report published by the Pew Research Center has revealed that one out of every 10 Americans know little or nothing about American politics. Called Bystanders, these individuals tend to stand in the sidelines and watch the action unfold rather than take part in it. They are also unaware of the political happenings in the country and choose to sidestep questions pertaining to the same with a simple “don’t know.”
