Politics in an Attention Economy | Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.

"To succeed in American politics today, it is no longer enough to be a skilled politician. Increasingly, candidates must also function as cultural figures who can break through an attention economy where voters are flooded with information controlled by algorithms that shape what they see."

"Democracy 2076's research found that government-relevant entertainment content reaches a daily average of 58 percent of Americans. In an environment where sustained attention is scarce, the campaigns that break through are often the ones that tell stories voters already recognize."

"Ade Salami has lived in Minneapolis her whole life and worked for a Minneapolis City Council member during the uprising that followed the murder of George Floyd. She watched that moment remake the political coalitions in Minneapolis, where a veto-proof majority of council members aligned around the idea that the city's approach to policing needed to change."

Success in American politics now requires candidates to act as cultural figures due to the overwhelming influence of the attention economy. Many Americans avoid political news but still encounter relevant stories through entertainment media. Research indicates that 58 percent of Americans engage with government-related content daily. Effective campaigns often resonate with familiar narratives. Sustained content engagement is crucial for influence, as seen in Minneapolis, where political coalitions have shifted in response to significant events, reflecting broader societal concerns about policing and immigration.

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