The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will go without their benefits come November 1 if the government shutdown holds.
Jamila Michener, associate professor of government, studies poverty, racial inequality and public policy in the United States, says the loss of these benefits will have profound repercussions for democracy.
Michener says: “Severe losses of government benefits have profound repercussions for democracy. People make decisions about whether and how to engage politically based on what they learn through direct experiences with government. When they lose public benefits – especially when those losses are perceived as unfair – Americans learn that their government cannot be relied upon and does not prioritize their needs. So, when benefits are taken away on a mass scale, voter turnout decreases.
“Large scale losses of public benefits affect who shows up to vote, who feels like they matter in American democracy, and ultimately, who has power in our political system. Public benefit losses politically demobilize and demoralize low-income Americans – the very people who already struggle to have voice and influence in politics, and the people who have the most at stake in holding elected officials accountable. This puts all of democracy on shakier ground. No matter which party ‘wins,’ democracy loses.”
