1. when America does something it has major downstream effects all across the world (wars, econ growth, culture wars)
2. converse of what you say: people care a LOT, negatively as well.

I was shocked when people in my class the morning of Trump 1.0 were crying. Half a world away. But somehow they think it's important, cosmically and/or has echoes everywhere else https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/trump-mania-why-do-we-care-so-much-about-politics/