The Decline of the Public Sphere

At least since Alexis de Tocqueville's visit to the United States in the 1830s, some observers have feared that Americans would turn inward, focusing on their individual, private concerns, instead of contributing to their larger society. In our own century, there is some reason to believe that this fear has actually come true to some extent. Over the course of the twentieth century, voter turnout has declined steadily, and many Americans have grown somewhat distrustful of government and of politicians. Additionally, Americans now are able to obtain an astonishing amount of information and entertainment in their own homes, greatly diminishing the need to participate in a larger public culture.

Many scholars, journalists, and social critics bemoan Americans' waning attachment to the broader civic life of their nation and their local community. They argue that Americans have become increasingly devoted to private concerns, and that we have become a nation of consumers, who participate in the market and pursue their own pleasures and self-interest, rather than citizens, who contribute to their nation's common good. Whether these pessimistic assessments of American life are accurate remains debatable. Fortunately, such a debate would itself contribute to restoring a vibrant civil society in the United States.