http://digbig.com/4kwdx
Gerry Stoker
"There is a crisis in democracy, as more and more citizens lose interest in politics. The reasons are complex and varied – but globalisation and professionalisation are prime culprits. It’s time to return control to the individual. My fear is that the dissatisfaction with politics is so profound that democracy itself is being brought into disrepute. Moreover, it is not just a local difficulty. These troubling issues are present in many mature democracies. Politics in democracies is failing. The facts speak for themselves. Turnout in local elections among young people in England is little more than 10%. In the 2005 UK general election, only four out of ten 18–25-year-olds voted. With some variation, turnout rates for all social groups have generally been falling across western democracies. Disengagement is also reflected in the collapse in membership of political parties, a major trend in the mature democracies."
