Communities Suffer As Civic Bonds Unravel

 “Without shared participation in public life, a citizen never thinks of any collective interest, of any objects to be pursued jointly with others but only in competition with them, and in some measure at their expense.’” 

British philosopher John Stuart Mill wrote those words more than 164 years ago. We are seeing his warning play out in today’s internet world, where we increasingly turn away from community and civic duty. 

We have assumed, based on repeated claims over the past 25 years, that the internet would expand civic knowledge increasing informed participation. It doesn’t. It degrades both.

Over the past week, we’ve read about two studies that illustrate how America’s representative democracy and its social fabric are being undone.

“Officials – especially in rural communities – are…raising some red flags about declining public engagement, deteriorating public discourse, and harassment,” Stephanie Leiser, director, Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, at the University of Michigan writes.

She is referring to the center’s annual survey of local public officials in Michigan, from small townships to large cities, and their perceptions of public engagement.

“While many public opinion surveys ask how Americans feel about democracy, very few examine the viewpoints of local officials whose job it is to carry out the daily work of democratic governance,” she writes.

There is a troubling finding from the survey for rural citizens, local governments, and the health of our representative democracy. Only 41% of local government officials in rural areas saw their residents as engaged in their communities, and 13% said their citizens were uncaring about what was happening. 

In the survey, urban officials reported that 64% of their constituents were engaged, and only 5% were not paying any attention.

We wonder how closely declining citizen engagement with local governments in rural areas is tied to the loss of community newspapers. Since 2000, more than 3,000 community newspapers in America have disappeared. In many of those rural communities, the newspaper was the only news source.

There are now more than 213 counties without a local newspaper, leaving 50 million citizens with limited or no news coverage of their communities. In metro areas, there are many more news sources. However, while these sources may give the impression that a person is receiving news coverage of their “community,” they mask what is happening to the roots of an informed citizenry. 

The daily newspaper provides coverage of its metropolitan area, but the loss of revenue to the internet has gutted its newsroom. It no longer covers nearly as many suburban local governments as it once did. And, the suburban newspaper that once thrived, covering city hall and school boards, is gone.

There are troubling signs for democracy in the Michigan study.

“While rural communities currently appear to be struggling more than urban communities to engage with their residents, looking over time, democratic participation is getting worse everywhere,” Leiser writes.

When we lose our local newspaper, we lose our sense of shared experiences, the stories of our fellow citizens, our schools and children, and the knowledge of the challenges our local governments face. We lose our loyalty and pride in our community. We lose a shared responsibility for the health, safety, and success of our community. We lose our civility and ability to compromise.

“Between 2012 and today, despite their efforts to expand engagement opportunities, particularly online, local officials’ satisfaction with their residents’ level of engagement has plummeted from 58% in 2012 to 38% in 2025,” Leiser writes.

We see this in our own communities when public officials talk about reaching out to citizens. They will mention Facebook and other social media sites. They will discuss programs that push notifications to citizens. But very often ignore the one source of information in the community that covers their meetings regularly, reports on their actions, and informs citizens in a trusted way – the community newspaper.

As fewer people pay attention, public service is becoming increasingly frightening. Michigan’s survey found that 39% of its public officials had experienced in-person harassment in the form of “hostile or aggressive comments.” Three percent reported receiving violent threats.

Public officials’ trust in the citizens they serve is declining. Only 59% of local officials feel they can have a constructive conversation with their citizens, down from 70% in 2012. 

Could this loss of the ability to have a constructive conversation be tied to the divisive social media misinformation that citizens are saying informs them?

Another study we read this past week underscores how rural residents are experiencing a loss of their attachment to their community.

“North Missouri communities are facing a widening challenge that affects public health, economic stability, and overall well-being: declining social connection and a weakening sense of belonging,” KTTN news of Trenton, MO, reported Dec. 17.

“Recent regional data reviewed by Maximize NWMO indicate that loneliness, reduced civic engagement, and fewer close personal relationships are emerging as critical quality of life concerns across the region’s 18 counties,” it reported.

Without a sense of community, people focus more on state and national issues, distancing themselves from their local connections. They are participating less, cutting themselves off from the events and associations that build social capital and a sense of belonging. Social capital is created by investing our time in shared recreational, social, and community events.

When we feel part of a team, we are more likely to pay attention to what affects its success or threatens its future.

As the feeling of being part of a community, whether shopping local out of loyalty to a local owner, cheering for the hometown sports teams, volunteering for event committees, or serving on the city’s park board, fades, so does a sense of responsibility for the future of that community.

In many of our communities, the newspaper is the only means of connection. When the newspaper disappears, the last threads that held the web of community together is cut.