Is political hobbyism hurting democracy? inFocus with Dr. Eitan Hersh on his book "Politics is for Power"

inFocus with David Coletto

Are you a political hobbyist? Do you read the Hill Times or iPolitics just for fun? Do you tune into the Sunday morning political shows and talk about politics with your friends or families – like if you were talking about your favourite sports team?

Well, if you are – you might be hurting democracy.

On this episode of inFocus, I’m joined by Dr. Eitan Hersh, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Tufts University. His research focuses on civic participation, voting rights, and the relationship between election rules, strategies, and the behavior of voters.

In January 2020, he published his second book “Politics is for Power” - A groundbreaking analysis of political hobbyism—treating politics like a spectator sport—and an urgent and timely call to arms for the many well-meaning, well-informed citizens who follow political news, but do not take political action.

In this interview, we discussed his research and the findings of his book and what they mean for American and Canadian politics and the future of our democracies.

I hope you find my interview with Eitan Hersh useful and informative.