The Empty Office: Grassroots Disengagement and the Hollowing of American Politics
An Ohio Republican campaign office that was once brimming with dozens of volunteers nightly now struggles to attract more than a handful, prompting desperate tactics like handing out chocolate bars to engage apathetic voters. This visible collapse of grassroots energy for a major political party signals a profound, potentially dangerous, disconnect between political institutions and the very citizens they depend on, threatening the vitality of democratic participation.