As I begin a brief reprieve from work, I can't escape this idea from Sheldon Wolin's 2008 book, "Democracy, Inc.": That it is vital for citizens to have leisure time to engage substantively in the political system. In our current economic system, most Americans simply do not have that luxury. Time literally prevents them from participating in their democracy.
People need leisure time to become more than merely passive members of society; to become more than an electorate. Many speak of the disparities in education and equality and how it affects our political system. And these are certainly valid criticisms. But, at bottom, time may be the most restrictive element that prevents us from engaging as political beings and nurturing democracy's fragile ecosystem.
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