It’s no secret that civic education among Americans is low, while civic participation is the main theme in our definition of freedom. It’s true that Americans are opinionated and mobilized on an above average level. While complacency is still a major issue for parts of the population, in comparison to many countries, America is a strongly participatory society when it comes to our government.
The caveat in this is the low voter turnout, but what we lack in voter impact we often make up for in protests, social campaigns, and direct influence. Our access to our politicians and the open coverage of our media is one way that America is uniquely free.
However, this often comes as an issue when our civic education is so low, even among those who are politically engaged and active. A basic understanding and an emotional drive are the bare minimum for public mobilization, but oftentimes it is easy to be led astray by misinterpreted and faulty logic.
The worst part is that while politics has become a point of social conversation, rather than sophistication or a hot topic, we are often left speaking so freely without truly understanding the implications of what it is we are discussing. In many ways, it has become more conventional for politics to be a dinner table conversation.
This is great, but not if people are not willing to do two things: learn and be challenged. In today’s political climate, we have treated issues and elections almost like a reality show. This is the fault of both content consumers and creators alike (including certain politicians who capitalize on this trend to create hysteria). Presidential debates were not only televised, but shown in theaters as if it was a movie to be watched.
People placed bets on elections as though they were spectator sports. Rather than discussing issues, policies, and economic impact, many threw support at candidates based on their appearance or persona. Some flocked to Bernie Sanders as a “small, kind, father figure” others rallied behind Donald Trump as someone “who says what he means”, but rarely did people logically vote based on a thorough understanding of policies or the way the government operates.
When it comes to protests in the street, emotions consistently run high, but a thoughtful presentation of information is rare. It has become the new popularity trend to be socially active. I remember being made fun of for years for being politically inclined, but now the lines between politics and entertainment are blurring. Rather than learning how the government operates, people swiftly react to policy that they do not fully understand. It’s important to be politically active, but it can do more damage than good if citizens fail to learn what actually is involved in how the government operates.
In other words, the grime of government operations and the truth behind our structure goes over the heads of many self-proclaimed activists who follow along to appeal to a social order. Toting a sign and shouting chants, while an important part of political activism, is not a crowning jewel of a model citizen. Following through on change by pursuing policy and working with the private sector (such as companies, lobbyists, etc) to make real change shows true character. To do that, however, is not possible without understanding what makes our government tick.
Plenty of times I have had to grind my teeth as people at parties have spoken with ignorance about “what ought to be done” without understanding why we have yet to do that or how it isn’t possible. In fact, many people seem to think change should be easy and quick in politics but fail to see that the government is not designed to be quick and that “simple solutions” aren’t so simple when you’re discussing policy that may affect every facet of our country.
“Why don’t we just raise the federal minimum wage?”
There’s much debate about whether this will hurt or hinder businesses, especially by economists who have studied this for years. Regardless of one’s opinion, it is almost universally agreed upon that swift and rapid change to the minimum wage would shock the economy. Furthermore, the issue is complex beyond only economic consequences. This question must be evaluated by a political and Constitutional perspective, as well. The powers of the government must be limited, so does the minimum wage set an awful precedent for more economic control?
“We might as well just outlaw guns.”
To do so, a modification to the Second Amendment of the Constitution is almost certainly required. Many demand a policy change, but few are asking for an Amendment change. Those uneducated on the process of the government forget that it is a far more difficult task than a simple majority vote. A simple blanket solution of outlawing guns won’t even solve the issue as there are already so many gun owners across the country. Plus, there are the economic ramifications of banning any industry.
“Trump should just get impeached.”
Impeachment does not guarantee removal from office. Plus, many people were demanding this before he had even been accused of criminal acts in office. Impeachment doesn’t mean “let’s get rid of this official”, it means “they should be charged with this legal misconduct”. And, no people do not get impeached for hurtful rhetoric.
You see, it’s these “just” questions and statements that chalk things up to be much simpler than they are. Any political scientist or student of politics often finds themselves torn between agreeing that something “ought to be done” and knowing that the way the mainstream proposes the solution is ineffective and ill-informed. Those who merely care about politics to raise their acclaim value on social media or in their peer groups, rarely care about effectively solving a problem, but rather looking like they have achieved something.
This is a real issue because politicians are rewarded for bandaged responses rather than a healing solution. As long as something appears to be getting done, many of the ill-informed activists will sway their support, but that doesn’t mean these policies will really change anything. Long-term problems won’t be solved overnight.
I’m not saying “don’t be an activist”. I’m saying, stop demanding immediate action where there is none possible and instead demand immediate meditation to heal wounds in our country that go deeper than can be sewn shut.
Understand the mechanisms that you must work within and you will ensure change in our country. However, if you only want to throw around your “adventures” protesting when you’re at a party to seem cooler, just know that you are part of the problem… not the solution.
