Our country is at a crossroads between democracy and authoritarianism. And the only antidote is an organized, engaged citizenry. But at this critical moment when we need people to lean into the fight for our future, we find that far too many people have given up.

In a comprehensive, multiracial study, Sojourn Strategies, Ariel Research Partners and Richard Shafranek found that 35% of the US electorate – 85 million people – are disaffected, characterized by high levels of disillusionment and low levels of trust in government and politics. Our democratic revival depends on solutions that transform people from disaffected bystanders into powerful civic agents.

The desire for community is where we find hope. Almost six in 10 of the disaffected (58%) would like to feel more connected to other people. These feelings provide organizers with an opening to invite new people into community where they can build a sense of belonging and develop collective agency. The research also shows that the disaffected electorate is reachable: they are more likely to act when they feel like they belong and can see the tangible impact of their actions.

The disaffected electorate is the same as the overall population as far as race, ethnicity and gender – although disaffected people tend to be younger, have fewer resources and are less likely to be college educated. What surprised us in the research was the finding that the disaffected are as civically engaged as the general population, with the exception of voting. Disaffected people have almost the same likelihood to talk to a friend or a family member about a political issue (61% of the overall population and 60% of the disaffected electorate) or to search online for information about politics (both at 42%). Yet while 65% of the overall population would vote if the midterm elections were held today, only 56% of disaffected voters say the same.

Most institutions, including the traditional political industry, write these folks off as apathetic. But the research shows something very different. They care a great deal about their families, neighbors and communities. They want to see progress on........

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