“To many, our democratic system seems so broken that they have simply lost faith that their participation could really matter. The politics of self-interest and catering to narrow special interests is so dominant that so many ask themselves: Why vote? … The political discourse is so formulaic, so tailored into poll-driven, focus-group-approved slogans that don't really say anything substantive or strike at the core of our lived experience.”

— Cornel West

"Cornel West: Democracy Matters" in The Globalist (24 January 2005)

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African-American philosopher and political/civil rights act… 1953

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