Alienated

In a small, highly-socialised country like our own, the people who become alienated and excessively disenchanted with the policies and officeholders of the incumbent Government probably only number a small handful. One very rough guide to this is the figure of non-voters, people eligible to vote at elections who choose not to do so, because they are incapacitated, apathetic, alienated or embarking upon a protest at the choice offering at the polls, In New Zealand the percentage of non-voters is only about half of that in Britain. In America, where the enormous and elaborate ruling structure must seem very irrelevant and remote to a lot of people leading to impotence and frustration with things down at the grassroots, the percentage is double again that of Britain's.