The 2012 U.S. elections were some of the angriest the nation had seen. The count

The 2012 U.S. elections were some of the angriest the nation had seen. The country seemed polarized into two camps that snarled at each other over jobs, deficits, taxes, entitlements, and religiosity. Some said this showed that the U.S. political system was dysfunctional and paralyzed. But the tensions helped revive interest in politics in the United States. From little more than half of Americans bothering to vote for president in the late twentieth century, U.S. voter turnout climbed to 63 percent in 2008 and 59 percent in 2012. Citizens who a few years ago turned away from politics are paying attention again.