One of the greatest concerns of modern American democracy is the lack of political interest and participation, which has increased since the 1960s. Most political scientists agree with the idea that a healthy democracy requires a good dose of participation and political effectiveness; however the big debate is how much is needed to be considered “healthy”? Some political scientists believe in the theory that the average American's lack of participation is extremely damaging to our democracy. However, there is another group of political scientists who are in the camp and believe that democratic participation is too high. With the advent of political lobby groups that put pressure on politicians, the nation has created an impasse where so many ideas are at stake, that the country can no longer reach consensus. The author of the book, Mr. Hudson, agrees with the first theory that our lack of participation is detrimental, and I completely agree with Mr. Hudson. The lack of involvement in the American political process, which is currently manifesting itself, is extremely detrimental to the political process because people, especially those of lower socioeconomic status, are not represented or considered while this nation makes important political decisions. In Hudson's "fourth challenge", he mentions the idea and importance of democratic participation in the American political system, and that it may not be operating at a high enough turnout rate to for the nation to succeed in the long term. At the beginning of the chapter, he discusses the two dominant arguments regarding participation in modern political science circles. The first argument is that American political effectiveness is lower than that of previous generations...... middle of paper ......y in the lower and middle class, who would not have to worry about s being absent from work or any other time commitments. Additionally, by enacting Election Day voter registration, giving citizens the opportunity to vote until the end, thus preventing them from using the “they forgot to register” excuse. These two reforms could help reinforce the importance of politics and make it easier for citizens of all social classes to become informed or inspired civic actors. Although some may be exhausted by politics and not see the value in participating in the electoral process, it is essential that the United States works to reverse this trend. For a democracy to be strong and respected, it needs as many different voices and opinions as possible, and increased voter participation is the first step in making American democracy stronger and more respected..