Anthony Downs and the Theory of Rational Ignorance

Anthony Downs, who viewed politics and traffic through the lens of economics, dies at 90
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/anthony-downs-dead/2021/10/27/ebff5d5a-3679-11ec-8be3-e14aaacfa8ac_story.html
“Whether buying a car, purchasing household items or voting for a candidate, Dr. Downs wrote, most people make their choices largely on the basis of self-interest. As politicians compete for attention, the voters, in turn, base their decisions on what will give them the greatest benefit or utility, to borrow a term from economics. Paradoxically, Dr. Downs concluded, one of those choices is to not vote at all.
This idea, which became known as the theory of “rational ignorance,” suggests that many potential voters decide that the investment of time and mental energy to learn about political candidates and issues is not worth the effort — particularly in elections in which their votes are unlikely to affect the outcome.
In other words, if voting were subjected to a cost-benefit analysis, many people would decide that doing something else — working, playing, studying — is more important than casting a ballot”.