Offline with Jon Favreau cover image

Offline with Jon Favreau

Are You Treating Politics Like a Hobby?

Apr 7, 2024
Eitan Hersh, a Political Science professor at Tufts, discusses the impact of 'political hobbyists' on democracy with Jon Favreau. They explore the importance of meaningful political action over online activism, the challenges of engaging in local politics, and the necessity of building real connections in political organizing.
46:47

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Political hobbyism undermines effective political engagement by prioritizing news consumption over meaningful participation.
  • Deep canvassing promotes empathy and personal connections, emphasizing listening and storytelling to persuade others.

Deep dives

Political Hobbyism Vs. Real Political Engagement

Political hobbyism, characterized by expressive energy without strategic behavior, is critiqued as detrimental to American politics by Aton Hirsch in his book 'Politics is for Power'. He argues that too many political news junkies focus on news consumption and sharing opinions without actual political engagement. Hirsch emphasizes the importance of meaningful engagement over passive hobbyism.

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