The Founding Fathers certainly did not think that the ordinary citizen had the capacity to be concerned with politics. The Founders actually feared this because they thought that ordinary citizens would be governed by their own selfish interests and would vote for things that helped them without considering the long-term health of the state. Since the time of the Founding Fathers, the government has allowed for the direct election of representatives. The Seventeenth Amendment allows...
The Founding Fathers certainly did not think that the ordinary citizen had the capacity to be concerned with politics. The Founders actually feared this because they thought that ordinary citizens would be governed by their own selfish interests and would vote for things that helped them without considering the long-term health of the state. Since the time of the Founding Fathers, the government has allowed for the direct election of representatives. The Seventeenth Amendment allows for senators to be elected directly by the people. Before this, senators were elected by state legislatures.
Since the time of the Founders the electorate has also grown. African Americans gained the right to vote in 1870. Women received the right to vote in 1920, and the voting age was lowered to eighteen in 1971. The government expanded the electorate after these groups campaigned for the right to vote in order to safeguard their interests.
Today the media keeps citizens involved in the governmental process through news shows, print articles, and pundits. The ordinary citizen has more stake in the government than ever before thanks to the income tax and various entitlement programs. While the Founders hoped that only a small class of citizens would handle the governance of the country with the benefit of all citizens in mind, the expectation now is that everyone should be invested in politics. This change in American political thought has led to more discourse and a more involved citizenry than ever before.
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