HaHaHa Ignorance will make you suffer... Inflation, war, civil rights are all determined by what the people vote. Your daily life is affected. The president/prime minister/etc can control through their actions: how much you pay for rent, utilities, groceries and consumer goods, your rights, if you have to hide out because of war, taxes on everything you buy, safety of your town/city through storm precautions, prevention of terrorism at the super bowl when Osama Bin Ladin can't blow it up, etc, etc, I've only scratched the surface. Pretty much being ignorant won't hurt you; enough votes are usually cast, but be lucky most people don't choose this unwise path of ignorance because it leads to a nation uncontrolled by the people, by choice of the people ironically.