New book finds economic fears lead to political inaction

Why aren't people who care deeply about issues like job loss, health care costs and college debt politically active on these issues? Why aren't mobilization efforts more effective?. Cornell political scientist Adam Seth Levine lays out an answer to the puzzle in his new book, "American Insecurity: Why Our Economic Fears Lead to Political Inaction." He examines the foundations of political behavior and offers a new perspective on barriers to political involvement on economic insecurity concerns. "The discrepancy between the economic insecurity issues that people care about and their likelihood of taking action doesn't exist on other issues that aren't related to financial insecurity," says Levine. Levine's key discovery is that rhetoric about economic insecurity issues is self-undermining: It brings to mind considerations that actually undermine the very purpose it's trying to achieve, by reminding people about other things on which they presently have to spend money or could have to spend money in the future. The rhetoric about these issues actually reduces peoples' willingness to spend money on a political donation on issues that deeply affect them, and if they're in the labor force it reduces their willingness to spend time as well. Self-undermining rhetoric can look like a lot of different things, says Levine. "Say you're an organization trying to raise awareness about - and potentially raise money around - the issue of health care costs.