I am not being positive about voters. In fact, most Americans do not vote, regularly. Part of it is structural. People know that voting is a waste of time. Why? As I was told when I was a reporter, that does not change city hall.

This is precisely how regulatory capture happens. People who want to do business before agencies vote, so do the people who hire the lobbyists. Just being informed is not enough. And both regular voters and non-voters know something stinks.

We need structural changes, but it goes well beyond just voting. And because of those structural issues, I vote, but I do so to remain in practice. Because right now my vote is not going to change a thing. If I had a few million,on the other hand…

Getting to those structural changes, and not just defending institutions but advancing it, matters.