Our nation had a record low for voter turnout in our last federal election. Many pundits who study and follow politics are often quick, come election time, to discuss, analyze and judge those who don't actively participate in democracy. Unfortunately, this ever-growing apathy is the crisis facing democracy, but to the parties' in charge it's all part of the plan.

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Edmonton - May 31, 2012 - Our nation had a record low for voter turnout in our last federal election. The many pundits who study and follows politics who for some reason consider themselves a part of the process despite not contributing much to political action - similar to how fans like to think they help their sports team by yelling at their television screen - are often quick, come election time, to discuss, analyze and judge those who simply don't actively participate in democracy. To the people who care about the goings-on of our politics, this ever-growing political apathy is the crisis facing democracy, but to the parties' in charge it's all part of the plan.

Samuel Huntington, a hugely influential political scientist, wrote of a so-called "Crisis of democracy". It doesn't involve the apathy of the electorate, it involves the crisis faced by the reigning party - presently, the Conservative party - when too many people are involved in democracy. The democratic process- and Democracy itself, at least as we know it now in our country - rests squarely on the voting populace not being an active part of the democratic process. Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party, in so much as they are the top party, do not want people to become more politically educated or politically active: It could lead voters away from the "gang mentality" that we use to vote and they are currently the biggest gang. It's designed so that you do not vote for what you inherently believe, but what - as a Conservative, or as a Liberal or whatever party you affiliate yourself - your party believes is best.

This is why it's always the opposition parties preaching for the need for the youth vote. In Alberta alone, where there has been a Conservative premier since 1971, both the Liberal party and the new Wild Rose party campaigned on promises to better the lives of possible young voters. And yet, somehow, the Wild Rose Party never once attempted to branch out to the youth by organizing some sort of Wild Bros Party that would gather the youth vote around a keg and exchange fist bumps and games of beer pong for votes. The in-charge party would never attempt to organize the youth vote, or for more people to become educated and vote.

It's a strategy that works wonders if you're a politician, but horribly if you're an average citizen without the time to figure out with which party you belong. You become dogmatic, yet a political parties' need for internalized loyalties and dogmatic tendencies has become the key component of partisan politics. It's due to this that parties in charge can pass policy that almost no one agrees with such as Crime Bill C-10. The system has skewered so that we no longer care about the issues, we only root for our "team" to win, regardless if we ultimately end up losing.