Dec. 17, 2020
By John Mulvaney
Staff Writer
Politics is a sort of a taboo word in western society. But whether people like it or not, politics is all around us, and people should be more involved in it.
From how towns are governed to who serves in Congress, politics is an essential part of keeping this country running. Want to elect a mayor for your town? That’s politics. Want a bill to become a law? That’s politics. It affects us even when we don’t notice it.
The online news publication Heavy states that 231 million people were eligible to vote in the 2016 election. However, only 130 million people voted. This figure is troubling, as it indicates that around 101 million eligible voters did not vote. In contrast, in this year’s election, approximately 147 million people voted, with voting at an all-time high. Americans turned out to the polls to vote in-person on Election Day, but they also cast their ballots in-person prior to Election Day or submitted a mail-in ballot. Young people are also becoming more politically engaged. According to the results of a national survey conducted by Harvard University, before the election, 63 percent of respondents aged 18-29 said they would “definitely” vote in this year’s election. This is a major increase over the 47 percent who responded “definitely” to the same question in 2016.
Out of about 6.5 million registered voters, around 4.5 million New Jerseyans voted in this year’s election, which is a decent turnout but could be better. However, it is good news that, according to the U.S. Elections Project at the University of Florida, the number of people who believe that “it really matters” who wins the election has been growing from 63 percent in 2012 to 74 percent in 2016 and 83 percent in 2020.
People who did not vote complain when they disapprove of a president or other elected officials. However, if people took the time to educate themselves on political issues, they would be more likely to feel confident casting a ballot on Election Day.
Elections are not the only way to participate in politics. Many politically motivated groups want to help change communities for the better. A lot of them push for more funding to improve schools and roads, while others try to help out with the environment by cleaning parks or stopping the pollution of lakes and rivers. By becoming more involved in politics and politically-minded organizations, a person can contribute to those positive changes.
With good political leadership, communities flourish and quality of life improves.
With good political leadership, communities flourish and quality of life improves. Nonetheless, it is important to recognize that the world of politics can be very toxic.
Partisanism is a major problem in politics. It leads to people voting for their favorite party, rather than their actual views. Ever since President Donald Trump was elected in 2016, political violence has been on the rise in cities such as Portland. Antifa and the Proud Boys, both activist groups on opposite ends of the political spectrum, have been around for quite some time now, with the Proud Boys having been founded in 2016, and Antifa—which stands for Anti-fascist Action—dating back to the 1930s.
The partisan divide has been growing, and it is unfortunate that people with different political views are unwilling to work together for a common objective.
Politics can be a source of good and evil, so it is important to act responsibly. When becoming more invested in politics, remember to be civil and look at all sides of the argument. To give an example of this, a common topic for political debates is healthcare reforms. Most people on the left are in favor of this, as they view healthcare as a fundamental human right, and they believe that with government-subsidized healthcare, the United States can modernize and become more like most European nations. The right argues against that, asserting that it would be too expensive and that it could not work with the United States’ unique economy.
Political parties can have major impacts on countries. An example of this is Brexit in the United Kingdom and the CCP in China. They are among the reasons that wars start, like the ongoing one between Armenia and Azerbaijan or the border tensions between Israel and Palestine. Politics drive humanitarian aid to countries in need like Venezuela or Somalia so they can get back on their feet again.
The past couple of years have been marked by tension and conflict in the United States, but through more political involvement and unity through understanding, this country can finally get back on track.
