75% of US citizens politically active

What would it take for Americans to feel like they are an integral part of the United States government?

Few Americans vote in presidential elections. Even fewer citizens vote in nonpresidential elections. And an abysmally few voters show up for primary races. How many citizens do you know, that are not involved in politics for their job, who participate in the democratic system in some way other than voting? I don’t know many. I volunteered to work at a phone bank for 3 hours during the 2004 presidential election, and I was told I was one of 1% of American who do so! Clearly, there is a problem when the government is “for the people” and “by the people” but so few people participate in the government.

Imagine the United States if 75% of the population voted in every election, contacted its national and state representatives on a monthly basis, worked with their political party year-round, and was informed on the issues. What if 75% of the population felt their voice mattered to in the government and that they had the power to effect change in out political system?

What would it take to make this a reality? What would make myself and others feel it’s worth the time to learn about current issues? What would make me learn how our Democracy works? What would it take for me to ask questions, read, and attend meetings to learn how my city, state, and country are run?

Health care costs so high I can hardly afford them? Poorly educated high school “graduates”? A President lying to the American people (or being unforgivably negligent at best) to gain their support for preemptively invading another country for the first time in US history? EU investigations into US torture charges? A President calling for more tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans during an unprecedented national deficit? Illegal eavesdropping on US citizen’s international and domestic calls? Government surveillance of my Internet activity? Hundreds of school busses flooded into a parking lot while thousands of citizen are stranded in the wake of a national disaster?

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am tired of feeling helpless while so many important issues are being decided on. I am tired of complaining to my friends about this weeks top news stories. I am tired of feeling like politicians are bad people and politics corrupts good people. I am so sick of feeling like all these issues are so complicated that I don’t have the time to understand them. I am tired of feeling that there is so much I don’t know, that I can’t have a valid opinion.

It is not right that as a college educated citizen, the issues of my country are too complicated for me to understand without spending all of my free time researching them. It’s not right that even if I do have a strong opinion about something, I feel helpless to do anything about it. Is writing a letter to my representative going to help? What about demonstrating downtown? What does that really do?

If I struggle with these frustrations and problems, then others also must. If I can find a personal solution for them, then maybe I can find solutions that help other people as well. What if 75% of the US population voted in every election, contacted its national and state representatives on a monthly basis, worked with their political party year-round, and was informed on major issues.