Almost 90 million eligible voters did not vote in the 2024 presidential election. This essay provides a psychological explanation as to why low income eligible voters did not cast a ballot. Low income eligible voters , 42% of the US population, are defined as earning less than $50,000 per year. Some typical explanations or factors include not having ID's, making it hard to vote ,long waits in line and the political parties not paying attention to this group.
Recently, the "Beautiful Bill" was passed by Congress. There were cuts to Medicaid, Affordable Care Act subsidies and the Nutritional Assistance Program etc.. It’s been reported that 75 million low income Americans are going to be affected with increasing health care premiums and another 16-17 million losing their coverage ,in part ,from having to show proof of employment. With tariffs ,and cuts to government agencies such as EPA, CDC, health research and with additional funds for ICE , the people's health ,is put in further jeopardy, In other words, healthcare, food, nutrition, chemicals, family disruption ,economics and the many environmental hazards are just some of the factors that pertain to the GOP's attack on our peoples . Their message is clear-your hunger,security, health , welfare ,protection and safety are not a priority in this administration And , Mitch McConnell said something to the effect “They'll get over it.”
To assess why a number of these economically low income , without status , angry, limited social mobility, self centered ,immature morality eligible voters did not vote , I turn to Abraham H. Maslow's motivational theory. Maslow's theory is based on the importance of low and high ego needs being gratified or not . In other words there is a hierarchy of less to other more potent needs. With gratification of ego needs,individuals have the ability to become more psychologically and physically healthy .Gratification also comes from the potential “satisfying” practice of parents ,other peoples as well as governmental policies within our culture or lack of it,..
Without a proper ratio of gratification of ego needs leads to crippling capacities, cognitive and moral pathology, despair, cynicism, rage, revenge , less maturity ,poor health and neuroticism . It’s the unsatisfied physiological and ego needs that tend to dominate actions with organization and efficiency. But with gratification , the need becomes submerged which allows the next higher set of needs in the hierarchy to emerge, within the structure of the personality . Simply put, the physiological and human ego needs become life’s essence ..
According to Maslow, ego need gratifications lead only to temporary happiness, which in turn tends to be succeeded by some other pursuit .Desires, passions, goals and neurotic tendencies can further motivate the individual .Also, ego needs are often associated with a number of additional actions. Further, Maslow pointed out that human nature is extremely malleable and is far too easy for the culture to negatively affect one's genetic and psychological health , welfare and potential .
To illustrate, Maslow theory begins with the physiological needs such as food , hunger ,sexual desire,and sleep as indicators of lack or deprivations in the body. Hunger suggests that the body is lacking some chemicals . So, the individual, that is hungry, has the motivation to fill that physiological need first before his other needs. If one is severely hungry, or starving, the drive for food is stronger than the need to watch a beautiful sunrise or write a sonnet. The need for food can also be related to “love” or lack , being alone , anxiety, depression ,boredom and survival
Moreover, with the ego need of hunger being unsatisfied, the organism can become dominated by that physiological need, so that all the other needs simply become nonexistent or pushed into the background. Take Les Miserables as an illustration. In this story, Jean Valjean stole a loaf of bread to feed his hungry family. Valjean's mission and purpose was clear. His behavior was centered around fulfilling that physiological need, irrespective of any other need and he was willing to steal regardless of the consequence. His behavior was dominated and became organized by that unsatisfied need. The fulfillment of the hunger need is powerful , second to none as human behavior becomes psychologically blind to other realities.
Man driven by food scarcity or starvation becomes dangerous. Take Geronimo for example. This Apache tribe leader went into battle with white eyes .His hatred was because his tribe was driven from their land and food became scarce. This Apache legend is about him being a great warrior and killing all those white eyes..When deprived of the ability to hunt for food , Geronimo became a murderer.
Some 80 to 85 years ago, the consequences of Hitler's sadistic policies were apparent when victims were liberated from the many concentration camps. These political prisoners, deprived of food, were gaunt, skeletal, haggard and drawn..
When one is chronically hungry during extreme physiological deprivation.,not only is man blind , he becomes irrational and can engage in self-defeating acts. With Trump’s continued sadistic war , economic threat of food , and/or employment deprivation, poor individuals focus on food acquisition and not on voting in elections. It doesn't seem to matter as previous presidents , politicians come and go as these citizens remain hungry , poor and exploited - why vote?.
Maslow's second need ,in his hierarchy , are the safety needs-security; stability; dependency; protection; freedom from fear ;from anxiety, chaos; a need for structure;order; law; limits; and strength in the protectors We Homo sapiens are security seeking and have a great capacity for acquiring safety tools as with all types of insurance ,warranties ,seat belts air bags, speed limits etc. Safety, protection and control are extremely important especially when threatened. When I encountered the lioness and her cubs on the tail run, I was threatened and retreated .
For another example, take the infant and its reaction when threatened or endangered . Infants can be easily disturbed when dropped suddenly , startled by loud noises, flashing lights or other sense provoking as with rough handling or a general loss of support when in mother's arms On the other hand , with age, experience, and knowledge, the individual can become better able to understand the loud noise of thunder and lightning and not be afraid. Watch a dog, they can not learn and remain afraid of loud noises .
Historically, another example of safety disruption occurred in 1938 Germany with the Kristallnacht Nazi pogrom. This was the beginning of the Holocaust and thousands of Jewish families sent daughters and sons abroad to safety. And, most never saw their parents again. Some 10,000 children arrived in Britain or in a handful of other European countries. These children, many were alone,were placed on trains in Germany. Their safety and belonging needs were shattered as they were sent away to be cared for by foster parents in strange language speaking countries.
Children require routine and find it difficult when there's a lack of limits. Too much permissiveness is not good . It’s important for the parents to provide comfort, familiarity and limits . Adults also want a safe, orderly, predictable, lawful,and organized world. Trump stokes fear when he calls LA chaotic, requiring the National Guard , Marines and ICE along with calling immigrants, rapists, thieves and gang members. His deportation to horrid third world prisons and erecting a structure in the Florida Everglades are other examples of fear and sadism. Its purpose is to severely scare these people .. He believes they will deport themselves as opposed to dealing with his horror as he cannot deport 15 million in one year as boasted..
Growing up in an unexpected and chaotic or dangerous situation leads one to identify with powerful parents who are protectors . Trump is no protector of America but is an emperor with no clothes. Adults want safety, prefer the known , the familiar rather than the unknown. With social chaos, breakdown of authority, of democracy, loss of job, loss of spouse, etc. leads to not feeling safe but anxious and insecure .
We have enough dangers such as disease, natural catastrophes, crime, social disorganization,, discrimination, prejudice, hate, etc. as examples. We have a desire for safety and we purchase all types of false and/ or self defeating products in hopes of taking away those threats.
Trump's GOP has imposed an authoritarian structure on our democracy and he provides real threats to law and order as he acts like a dictator with his onslaught of toxic danger. There is a need to defend oneself. We see that action with peaceful protest on the street and thinking about the 2026 midterms come to mind. However, when poor individuals are struggling, in poor health , they are not very well equipped to deal with the current onslaught, it is not a surprise that there's a withdrawal from the democratic process of voting.The poor’s physiological and safety needs continue to be under constant threat. Their motivational behavior becomes centered around these physiological and safety needs.
Reference
Maslow, Abraham H. Motivation and Personality.
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