Abstract
Apathy means lack of interest in politics. It plays a significant role in theories of democracy that stress citizens' involvement in public affairs, is used as an indicator of waning ‘social capital’, and of ‘cognitive mobilization’, which is an important political development in western societies. The interested citizen is more politically knowledgeable and active than the apathetic one. Although some have used a single survey question to tap apathy or its opposite, political interest, it is best to rely on multiple items to measure this important attitude. Research in the US and Europe shows that, except in periods of national emergency, most citizens are not very attentive to public affairs, which is worrisome to politicians, journalists, and academics. Several factors affect apathy/interest, among them are education, age, and political dispositions such as partisanship, political efficacy, and sense of civic duty. Future research may show that apathy/interest has more than one underlying component. The next century may also witness an end to traditional gender differences in political interest. The rebirth of civic education reflects a desire to enhance citizens' political attentiveness in many western societies.
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