Over the last few months, we’ve covered a lot of political and government content on the blog! We discussed multiple Supreme Court Cases that came out over the summer, including the overturning of Roe v. Wade as a result of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the scaling back of the separation of church and state through Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, and the redistribution of jurisdiction over tribal lands in Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta. This month, I want to wrap up this series with a discussion about how individuals can be more involved in their local and nationwide governments, from educating yourself about recent legal changes to learning about voting and how else to get involved.
I have frequently been told throughout my life that voting is our most important civic duty, but how can you know who and what to vote for, if you aren’t learning about the issues and laws the political candidates are championing? That’s where educating yourself comes in! Learning about major bills passed in Congress at the federal and state level, or even new ordinances and policies at the county and city level, can help you learn about current trends in politics, inform you about freedoms and rights you might be gaining or losing based on new laws, guide your decisions about who to vote for, and encourage you to be more active in your local political landscape. And there’s many different ways to educate yourself! Here are just a few:
- Read, watch, or listen to the news. Whether you’re reading a traditional newspaper, watching the evening news, or listening to a news radio broadcast on your daily commute, news organizations are normally pretty good at making their audiences aware of new legislation that might impact them.
- Read a book, listen to a podcast, or check out a political or historical YouTube commentator. Books, podcasts, and video essays are all great resources, because they often dive deeper into individual topics than the news, which gives the basics of many different topics and issues. Consider picking something that dives into the history of a specific political issue, takes an in-depth look at a current law or policy you’ve never heard of, or anything else that interests you. If you need some ideas to get started, check out this list.
- Check out articles and databases at the library! The library isn’t just books, and offers plenty of educational databases like LegalTrac, which features articles from legal journals, newspapers, and more, or Opposing Viewpoints in Context, which collects articles, photos, statistics, and opinion pieces from multiple sides for a variety of political and social issues.
- Check out government and nonprofit resources. This might mean browsing recent court cases at supremecourt.gov, reading the full text for bills you might vote on in the upcoming election, or looking up a candidate’s voting record, donors, and political career on ballotpedia.org.
I recommend consuming resources from a variety of formats, voices, and viewpoints. Consider watching your local news as well as reading news online from another viewpoint, or even from a news source from another state or country. Consider podcasts, books, and articles that come from both sides of the political spectrum, because even if you don’t agree with them, learning about the beliefs and opinions of those you disagree with can help you have a more nuanced, well-rounded understanding of different issues. And don’t forget to critically analyze whatever you consume! To learn more about evaluating sources for credibility, accuracy, and more, check out these recommendations from Benedictine University.
With awareness and education about politics and government, you can more confidently cast votes in line with your personal values and beliefs, speak from a more informed position with friends and family, join local political organizations, or even get involved by running for local positions you’re interested in. Elected officials aren’t just the governor and other legislative candidates, they can also be school board positions, citywide committees, and many other small but impactful roles.
No matter where you are on the political spectrum in the United States, being aware of the changes happening in our legal system and how it impacts us as individuals and as a community will create a more informed and connected society. If you’d like to learn more about how to get involved with campaigns, candidates, or voting as a whole, you can find more information at the Secretary of State website.