Agency is another noun that needs to be a verb.

Let’s start with a definition: human agency is the capacity to act independently, make choices, and influence outcomes in one’s life and environment.

Here are the links to the food stories. Food Safety News with a 2020 story about animal operations, almond trees, and E. coli. And here’s the story about the peaches with “fugitive dust.” You’re welcome.

Agency is more than the ability to choose; it is also the belief that one’s choices matter. Agency is essential for developing an identity and feeling worthy, and the ingredient needed to tap our constitutional right to pursue happiness.

Without it, people may experience helplessness, stagnation, and despair. Without a doubt, it leads to apathy, withdrawal, and cynicism. Elon’s X is a testament to humans without agency – it provides the illusion of “making a difference” without making a difference.

Here’s how agency works developmentally through life stages.

The Littles.

Children develop agency when caregivers allow them to make decisions within safe boundaries. Whether choosing a bedtime story or picking out clothes, these moments shape their understanding of independence and competence (this is where I get on my soapbox about the significance of the RIE approach to child rearing).

Research has found that fostering agency early in life has life-long benefits. According to Dr. Laura E. Berk, early opportunities to practice agency are linked to higher self-esteem and problem-solving abilities later in life (Development Through the Lifespan).

Conversely, overly controlling environments can hinder this growth, leading to feelings of inadequacy and dependency. (I feel like a massive rabbit hole here links early childhood development with authoritative church doctrines to create feckless, obedient adult humans who don’t believe they have any power except to judge others).

The Teens

For teens, agency becomes a cornerstone of identity. Adolescents strive to assert independence, often challenging authority as they explore who they are and what they value. This desire to find their center is why they separate from us (“Go away, I hate you” or “You don’t get it”). It is super healthy, and frankly, if your kid doesn’t do it in their teens, it will happen eventually unless they have other issues that supercede this need for independence.

This period is their search for meaning, which psychologists like Erik Erikson argue is essential for healthy psychosocial development (Identity and the Life Cycle). Without the ability to make meaningful choices, teens can feel trapped or rebellious in ways that harm their long-term growth.

This why encouraging teens to take ownership of their decisions—while guiding them through mistakes—helps them build resilience and a sense of purpose. If you ever want them to individuate and leave, you must help them “adult” while they’re in your daily care.

The Adults

Adulthood is where agency is both extraordinarily critical and regularly tested. Balancing responsibilities like work, family, and societal expectations can challenge a person’s ability to feel in control.

It’s common for adults to lose sight of their agency when overwhelmed by external demands or societal pressures, leading to feelings of powerlessness. Take that in: yes, we have to make daily decisions about what to fight for, but making the decision is still agency. It’s when we feel like we have no choice and no control (ya know, like when a streaming channel decides to raise rates for no good reason or we elect an authoritarian dictator with no relevant work experience)that we start to disengage and get sad or angry or both.

We can’t be content with knowing what kind of people we are; it matters, too, what kind of people we hope to be.
Anthony Appiah, British-American philosopher and writer

Claiming and regaining agency as an adult can lead to profound transformations. Individuals who actively assert control over their lives (agency)—even in small ways, like setting personal goals or saying no to overcommitments—report higher levels of happiness and fulfillment.

The Geezers

While agency doesn’t diminish with age, societal perceptions, physical barriers, and bigotry often make older adults feel invisible.

Seniors face unique challenges, such as physical limitations or social isolation, making asserting agency more difficult. Yet, maintaining a sense of control is essential for mental health and dignity. Something as simple as accessibility was once a high-value tech item, but as the hedge fund bros entered the chat, it’s nearly gone as a priority. Jonathan Hassell (my God, is that name perfect or what?), CEO and Founder of Hassell Inclusion keeps an eye on these things, but he doesn’t have great news.

Programs like Aging Well emphasize giving seniors choices in living arrangements or daily routines. Research from Oxford shows that seniors with higher levels of perceived control have lower rates of depression and improved physical health. Agency in later years isn’t just about autonomy—it’s about feeling human and valued.

---

The Role of Agency in Democracy

Agency doesn’t just shape individual lives; it’s also the lifeblood of democracy. The foundation of civic engagement is our ability to make choices, express opinions, and influence outcomes. From voting to attending town hall meetings and a whole lot in between, citizen agency ensures that democracy remains participatory and vibrant.

Democracy-driven agency at a local level.

Locally, agency manifests in small but meaningful actions. Individuals can exercise their agency to make a difference by joining a community group, volunteering, or simply speaking up at a school board meeting. These choices ripple outward, fostering a sense of empowerment and encouraging others to do the same.

For example, research from Italy highlights how individuals participating in local initiatives report feeling more connected to their communities and confident in their ability to effect change. Sam Delgado at Vox makes this point incredibly relevant, “If we want to make a change beyond the ballot box and find meaning in these challenging times, we need to engage with the people around us.”

This is the essence of grassroots activism.

How agency helps us shape the direction of a nation

When we dial it up, targeting state or national change, agency expands into collective action. Socially driven initiatives like the Civil Rights Movement or climate change advocacy demonstrate how individual choices can coalesce into state, national or even global change. Leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. embraced the power of agency, famously stating that “human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable” but rather the result of deliberate, persistent action.

“Look at the social movements of the past that created lasting impact, like the civil rights movement securing legislation to outlaw segregation and discrimination, or the labor movement establishing weekends and the eight-hour workday. Powering these campaigns were longstanding relationships between different people with different skills and roles, forged together into a collective by their shared values and a desire for a better world. They built communities that were able to create sustained public pressure for change outside of the presidential election cycle.” – Sam Delgado, Future Perfect fellow

Democracy thrives when citizens see themselves as agents of change rather than passive observers. Conversely, when agency is prohibited, denied, or eroded—whether through voter suppression, disinformation, or apathy—democracy falters.

Agency matters now as we descend into an authoritarian hellscape.

Despite its importance as essential to a healthy democracy, agency is under increasing threat.

• Structural barriers such as systemic racism and economic inequality continue to restrict opportunities for many to assert their agency.
• Gerrymandering—a deliberate manipulation of electoral boundaries to entrench power—undermines the principle of fair representation, leaving voters powerless to influence outcomes.
• Restrictive voting laws, such as those requiring specific forms of ID or limiting early voting, disproportionately affect marginalized communities, effectively silencing their voices at the ballot box.

Compounding these barriers is the growing specter of authoritarianism, where dissent is often met with intimidation or fear of retribution; for instance, journalists, political activists, and whistleblowers risk arrest or even imprisonment for challenging abuses of power. Fear chills civic engagement, eroding trust in democratic institutions, replacing hope with doom, and further disempowering individuals.

Psychological factors appear when agency disappears. Learned helplessness—born from repeated experiences of systemic inequity—fosters a belief that efforts to enact change are futile. Widespread cynicism and disillusionment replace innovation and optimism as political systems respond to corporate interests rather than citizens’ needs. These dynamics don’t just discourage participation; they fracture the very foundation of democracy by convincing people that their actions are irrelevant and might also be punished.

The fight to reclaim agency requires dismantling these barriers and restoring faith in the power of individual and collective action. From combating voter suppression to challenging authoritarian overreach, reinvigorating agency is vital to safeguarding democracy.

Combating these threats requires education, accessible civic tools, and a cultural shift toward empowering individuals at every level of society. Programs like Democracy Works and Fair Fight aim to restore agency by making civic participation more accessible and meaningful.

“Ultimately, the relationship between personal and civic agency is symbiotic. People who feel empowered in their personal lives are more likely to engage as citizens, while active participation in democracy reinforces a sense of purpose and capability. This cycle sustains both the individual and the collective.” – Jen Carole, Activist, Podcaster, and Democracy Champion

Where do we go from here?

Agency is both a gift and a responsibility. Whether helping children make their first independent choice or empowering seniors to feel seen, fostering agency enriches lives and strengthens communities. As citizens, reclaiming our agency isn’t just about personal fulfillment—it’s about safeguarding the democratic principles that make such fulfillment possible.

Today’s content is just the beginning of a conversation we’ll be having over the coming months. I’m prepared to die on this hill. We must restore agency to Americans if we want to save our democracy.