Growing up, I never really cared or wanted to follow anything regarding politics. If you asked me, then I would have said something to change the topic to something more interesting to me like sports or celebrities. I always thought of politics to be in the same category as history, and boy did I hate history. Not only have I realized that history and politics have nearly nothing to do with each other, but I fell in love with politics and actually declared it as my major.
With this year being 2016, obviously everyone is well aware now of the presidential election coming up in a few short months. As an 18-year-old American citizen, I am now officially allowed to vote, and I couldn't be more excited to voice my opinion on who to vote for. But that is not why I'm here. That is not why I'm writing this.
My position as a political science major is to help inform others on the importance of voting. Many citizens want to voice their opinions, but in reality, there is only about 60 percent of the population who will go out to vote. Majority of voters know nothing about politics and have done little to no research on the candidates they support; they just follow the blue or red pathway. There are others who would vote solely on the fact that they want a female president. There are also voters who simply want a change, and no matter the candidate, they will vote for the opposite party that currently holds office.
Personally, I believe voters should be informed. Voters should study, understand and support the platform that their candidate proposes. Being that there is nothing actually said about political parties in the original constitution, I don't necessarily think it should be liberals versus conservatives or democrats versus republicans. But this is reality, it's Hilary versus Trump, and voters should be well-informed about their campaigns before they choose to elect either into office.
Those who hate Trump vote for Hilary, and those who hate Hilary will vote for Trump. But it's extremely simple to go online and research the separate platforms that each candidate has created. You might not support everyone, but it is extremely important to know what you are supporting when you cast your ballot.
What I'm saying is extremely simple. Form your own opinion and don't listen to others especially when it's coming from the media. Develop your own political platform and compare yours to who you want running this country for the next four years.
I was raised not necessarily knowing much about politics, and my parents never really told me their position largely due to the fact that they wanted me to develop my own opinions. I never thought that I would become a political science major, yet alone develop such an interesting perspective on politics. Within the next couple of months, start your studying and get your opinions formed because either way, things are about to change for our country.
