Political ignorance functions as an effect of cultural discouragement, not merely its cause

Evidence

If the key to the mystery of close to home'' is not deformed beliefs,” or absent “languages,” perhaps ignorance explains it. Americans are astoundingly ignorant of the most basic historical and political facts ^ who the vice-president is, which sides we are arming in various wars, and more. Given this dismal state of a¡airs, many researchers conclude that a large portion of the American electorate is just too uneducated, stupid, or apathetic to participate. But, again, as Habermas, Mill, and other democratic theorists would argue, memorized lists of facts do not reveal or create political competence; what could begin to create competence is unobstructed communication that broadens citizens’ political imaginations, inspires curiosity and analysis. Ignorance is not just a cause, or precondition, of other kinds of political competence; it is also an e¡ect of this incompetence-inducing cultural work. — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 150

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s knowledge of Habermas and Gramsci; also parallels the ‘thin optimism of the will’ idea that recurs in discussions of American civic culture. — connects to: Racism produces the ignorance that is blamed for generating it — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race: Reflections on…, 1222; Discrimination causes racist ideas which cause ignorance and hate — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning: The…, 25; Racism causes ignorance as much as ignorance causes racism (+4 more)
• corroborated: 5 independent passages support this claim — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”: The work of avoiding…, 150

Related

• Political ignorance reflects lack of opportunity for unhurried reasoning, not low intelligence. (similarity 0.84)
• Apparent political ignorance masks a lack of analytic framework. (similarity 0.83)
• Self-interest produces racist policy, which then produces racist ideas and ignorance (similarity 0.80)
• Discrimination causes racist ideas which cause ignorance and hate (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Racism produces the ignorance that is blamed for generating it #corroborates (0.92) — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race, 1222
• Imperial power produces ignorance through acts of refusal to notice #corroborates (0.90)
• Racism causes ignorance as much as ignorance causes racism #qualifies (0.88)
• Self-interest produces racist policy, which then produces racist ideas and ignorance #corroborates (0.88) — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning, 1249
• Discrimination causes racist ideas which cause ignorance and hate #corroborates (0.85) — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning, 25