In recent years, political efficacy in the United States has been on the decline, especially in the aftermath of a brutal and all-too-recent presidential election. Public interest in government affairs is leveling simply because people are tired of it, and understandably so. The past year and a half has consisted of a complete political submergence: a wave of opinion and frustration that we all, inevitably, got pulled into. And now that the wave has settled, and the nation is recovering from the damage, people don’t want to hear it anymore. It’s time to pack up and go home.

Political efficacy is the faith of a citizen to trust in the government; as well as the belief that they can have influence on political affairs. According to the ninth edition of “We the People”, a book written by Benjamin Ginsberg of Johns Hopkins University, a 2012 poll concluded that 62% of Americans say that elected officials don’t care what the people think; in 1960, that number was only 25%. Post election, you could imagine how much higher that percentage might be.

It is because of this thought that there is a growing belief that the government no longer works for the benefit of the people. And in turn, the people stop paying attention. What we don’t realize is that this is the very problem.

The feeling that you can’t affect the government’s decisions leads to a self-perpetuating cycle of apathy, which turns into a gradual decline in political participation, and ultimately, a complete withdrawal from political life. This is destructive, because it undermines the very essence of democracy. And in a way, being apart from that democracy, is the same as taking it for granted. It’s a cycle; a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe that the government is ruled by a bunch of social elitists working for their own benefit, your disinterest and non-action will only prove that to be true. Your apathy helps no one.

So how do you engage? How do rally and resist and support? The answer is simple: get smart. Numerous surveys indicate that Americans have significant gaps in their political knowledge. In a survey taken in 2011 by the Pew Research Center, only 56% of Americans could identify John Boehner as speaker of the House of Representatives. Citizenship is so much more than just patriotism, you also have to be knowledgeable. Political indifference is sparked from not knowing enough about how the government affects you, and political engagement makes you more prepared to influence the system. Ask yourself: how can we have a democratic government without knowledgeable and aware citizens?

The next step is participation; to be a member in one’s community. The role of the people is to elect qualified officials, and hold them accountable; remember: we are the boss of them. Know your rights, and then approach the right people. This is what it means to be an American: to have interest and to do the work. Only this way can we have a government by the people and for the people.