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Political researchers said the government shutdown situation swirling around Washington, D.C., might turn even more people off to civic engagement but a South Dakota expert said even during tumultuous times, completely avoiding the democratic process has its pitfalls.

Strained budget talks are compounded by mounting fears of political violence and what many academics and voters see as a toxic environment for public discourse.

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Julia Hellwege, associate professor of political science at the University of South Dakota, said it is natural to want to look away and refrain from taking part. But she argued voters still need to muster up motivation to hold leaders accountable, noting many Americans still want a functional government.

"We might differ on the kinds of values that we have and what policy outcomes that we want to see, but we want the government to work," Hellwege explained.

Hellwege noted tuning out feeds into narratives of money in politics leaving people feeling hopeless and fearing their voice does not matter. She stressed voting regularly, attending town halls and finding time to stay informed about policy matters are the best ways to maintain accountability checks on elected officials.

Hellwege acknowledged people can feel deflated when news about politics often fuels divisiveness. She added life's day-to-day challenges are enough for most voters but they have to look at the bigger picture.

"High elevated conversations about politics often falls by the wayside when we're concerned about our grocery bills, and we're concerned about how much gas costs and we're concerned about our health care needs," Hellwege underscored. "But ultimately, these are the actual decisions that the lawmakers are deciding upon, and so that's only more recent for us to engage more."

In a new Gallup poll, only 23 percent of Americans had a favorable view of the federal government, putting it at the bottom of 25 sectors evaluated in the survey.