Ask yourself - how many of those issues affect <i>you</i> directly? And by directly I mean something you&#x27;ll suddenly have to account for in your daily life and spending patterns.<p>Personally, their equivalents in my country don&#x27;t affect me at all. I&#x27;m young and relatively healthy, my employer pays for my health insurance. Yes, accidents can happen, but it&#x27;s an abstract possibility. Gun control - when have you last seen people shooting each other on the streets in real life? It&#x27;s another topic that&#x27;s just abstract for most people. Gay marriage is something that naturally affects only LGBT people. The opposition argues against same-sex marriages mostly from a moral standpoint, which is again something abstract.<p>Say, on the other hand, that we&#x27;d have confirmed reports about zombies (or evil commie nazi aliens) showing up in various places in the US. I&#x27;m pretty sure the gun control debate would be resolved unanimously in a single hearing.<p>That of course doesn&#x27;t account for <i>all</i> policy disagreements. But the most I&#x27;ve seen so far always involve at least one side with no immediate, tangible stake in the issue.<p>--<p>EDIT:<p>Replying to the three (so far) responses.<p>Thanks for sharing your perspectives. I guess I might be underestimating the direct importance of some of those issues to people, as well as the amount of disagreements that are about conflicting interests. I will reevaluate my opinions on this topic.