By Ezra Klein, Washington Post, Februrary 25, 2011

Most people don't pay much attention to politics.

[....just keep in mind that most people aren't paying any attention at all.]

It's easy to smile ruefully at this observation and move on. I think it should be taken more seriously. ....political scientists John R. Hibbing and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse amass a lot of public-opinion data showing two things: First, as Jon Bernstein says above, most people do not pay much attention to American politics, and they do not want to pay much attention to American politics. But that preference leads to another preference: In order for most Americans to tune out of politics and not get ripped off due to their inattention, politicians need to be acting in an honorable, "non-self-interested" way.

This is why things like partisanship, evidence of corruption, the public understanding of earmarks and so forth are so damaging.  They're signs that the process in Washington is broken....most Americans don't have terribly strong views on policy and figure people of good faith could fairly easily come to agreement on the nation's major problems. When that's not happening, people get scared.....