Just as there are those kids in the class who only show up when the exams roll around, we all know those people who only seem to care about politics once every four years when presidential elections roll around. Just as those kids who only show up for exams are cheating themselves out of a certain level of education, so are those who do not take the time to be politically involved and educated at all times. For the same reason no one wants to hear how you can’t believe you failed that exam for the class you never went to, no one wants to hear how you’re not happy with the people currently in political positions if you haven’t at least tried to change it.
I think that most millennials (defined as people between the ages of 18 and 29 who grew up during the new millennium) do not realize the power we could hold if we all educated ourselves and became active in politics. Millennials are the largest generation in the country’s history, with this group making up a third of the electorate by 2015 while also being the most racially diverse. With this kind of representation in the electorate we could make big changes in the government if we all became actively involved in the electoral process.
It can all just start with a Google search; I, who have ascertained the majority of my political knowledge from binge watching "The West Wing," truly benefitted from this research process. It all begins with information. Familiarize yourself with the political climate. Educate yourself on issues, maybe even take a stand on something! Once you’ve decided the issues/party you identify most with, that is when you can really start to become an active participant in the democratic process.
Now that you know the issues you identify most with, you can start to connect with people and garner support for the cause. You can research politicians on your ballot or currently in office that are the biggest proponents of this cause and reach out to them to see if there are any volunteer positions. You can reach out to your local Republican or Democratic chapter and connect with them.
Once you are educated, there are many levels on which you can involve yourself in the political process but I truly believe that the most important one is to get out there and vote. So many teens and college-aged students get in this mindset that their one vote couldn’t possibly make a difference, but the problem with this the disproportionately large amount of discouraged voters leads to only about a quarter of eligible millennial voters planning on voting. Even less actually turn out to the polls.
We as millennials have the power to take control of what happens and who leads in this country. We can begin to stray away from strictly partisan voting and focus on more issue based concerns. We can no longer be ignored. We are millennials, we are educated, we are active, hear us roar.
