In a shocking development that surprises absolutely no one, a new study has found that 35% of the US electorate - roughly 85 million people - are so disillusioned with politics that they've basically checked out. The survey, conducted by Sojourn Strategies, Ariel Research Partners, and Richard Shafranek, describes these folks as 'disaffected,' which is a polite way of saying they trust the government about as much as they trust a used car salesman.

But fear not! The solution, according to Julie Fernandes of the Democracy & Power Innovation Fund and Katrina Gamble of Sojourn Strategies, is to build a sense of belonging and transform these disaffected bystanders into 'powerful civic agents.' Because nothing says 'civic engagement' like being dragged back into the political circus against your will.

Fernandes and Gamble argue that the only antidote to the looming threat of authoritarianism is an organized, engaged citizenry. So if you were planning on binge-watching Netflix and ignoring the news forever, sorry - your country needs you. Or at least, it needs you to vote, maybe attend a town hall, and definitely stop pretending politics doesn't exist.

'The democratic revival depends on solutions that transform people from disaffected bystanders into powerful civic agents,' they write. Which is a noble goal, though one has to wonder if 85 million people might just need a really good reason to care again. Perhaps a free pizza with every ballot?