28. How Misinformation and Apathy Undermine Participation in Democria
In the fictional country of Democria in 2030, the decline of democratic participation is fueled by a mix of misinformation and apathy. Misinformation campaigns, orchestrated by political factions and spread through platforms like Faceworld and Twittle, undermine the integrity of elections. Prominent figures like journalist Maria Gomez try to combat this with factual reporting, but face challenges due to widespread skepticism.
Individual outcomes
Citizens, including young voter Tomás, become disillusioned and distrustful of the political process, leading to low voter turnout.
Societal outcomes
Societally, this apathy and misinformation threaten the very foundation of democracy in Democria. In more extreme cases, this is a breeding ground for extremist opinions, dilutes the vote share of traditional and moderate political parties and facilitates the seizing of power by extremist groups who are better at organising themselves in the face of declining voter turnout.
Competences involved in this scenario:
Social systems affected by this scenario:
M3. Role of media in democracy
M4. Facts and opinions
S4. Official and unofficial sources
Electoral Systems
Government
Media