In this timely conversation, we explore new research on what’s often called “voter apathy” and uncover a different story: many people who don’t vote aren’t disengaged from their communities, they’re disengaged from a political system they experience as distant, unresponsive, and built for someone else.

Swarthmore sociologist Daniel Laurison, who led the study, walked us through findings from his latest research, Understanding the Political Disconnect, which examines why trust in political institutions is low among lower-income Americans, how feelings of exclusion shape participation, and what meaningful engagement might actually require.