10 Ways You Can Get Involved in Politics

10 Ways You Can Get Involved in Politics (via Pixabay) 1) Knowledge is Power Before getting involved in politics it is essential to know and understand its background.  USA.gov  will be your best friend when it comes to learning the basics of how the government actually works. If you dont feel like looking up books in the library, you could always check out some YouTube videos that would speed the process along a little more quickly.  Here  is a seven-minute  crash course on the government basics! School House Rock is no longer around, their catchy, easy-to-follow tunes can be found on YouTube, like the classic  Im Just A Bill  song. Basically, there are several ways to learn about government and its history, whether youd like to indulge in a novel or just watch a quick video. 2) Register to Vote This step is simple and can be achieved in just a few minutes. You can register to vote at your local Department of Motor Vehicles or online. Visit this site  to find out more about where your local DMV is located and how to properly go about the process. 3) Go Actually Vote This should be obvious, but some feel as though their votes do not count. With the proper education on the voting process, you can find out that the constituents do indeed matter. This process can seem sketchy when talking about the electoral college but this actual weighs a states population in connection to the rest of the country. These electoral college numbers represent your  vote in a way that is cohesive and fair when it comes to the total population of the country. If this explanation  is confusing heres a short video  on explaining what it is and another discussing the voting process. US Capitol (via Wikimedia Commons) 4) Learn Who Reps Your State Whos your rep?? The government has three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The legislative branch is where representatives come into play. This branch consists of Congress and the Senate  that are responsible for weighing in on decisions that the executive branch proposes. The legislature is the checks and balances that prevents every decision from becoming an executive order that overrides typical government practice. Its important to know who your state representatives are because you can have an influence on their decisions. Call your representatives, and keep in contact with them to have your voice be heard. You can find out who your representatives are on this website. 5) Share What You Know Knowledge is power for real. The things you know can be impactful to the people you know. Just like how you share stories, you can also share knowledge. You may have heard of the term share the wealth and this is almost one in the same. You can share what you know online or to the people close to you, anything counts! The more that everyone knows about government processes, the more say that constituents have. 6) Meetings on Meetings on Meetings This is possibly the most boring step, but still important! Town hall meetings or meetings in your district can be a direct way of speaking to your local representatives and voicing your opinion. These meetings allow for you to become aware of the things happening in your area that may have been unbeknownst to you. These meetings are a more intimate way to speak your mind rather than leaving your congressman voicemails and emails. But like mentioned earlier, these meetings can be super boring. Depending on what the meeting is about can determine which may be of interest to you. (via Pixabay) 7) Volunteer! Becoming involved does not necessarily always involve the government, but the little things that you can do to help your community. There are often local organizations that you could volunteer for to spread awareness of a cause or assist in their day to day activities. Many churches, schools, and shelters offer volunteer programs that would help out the community around you. There are ways to volunteer in helping people register to vote, and I guess you could consider campaigning for the candidates you believe in as volunteering too. 8) What Do You Believe In? What are you passionate about? What drives you and or riles you up? These things that you feel so strongly about can make your political involvement much easier. If you focus on one topic, or aspect of government, you can direct all of your attention to this cause. Having a focal point will make volunteering and activism seem more easily attainable. Some examples of a focal point would be systematic oppression, environmental factors, or gun control. 9) Find a Publication that Suits You The news media industry is flooded with publications of all kinds. Mainstream publications might not represent your views on a subject but there could be others that do. When you have a source to read from that aligns with your views or provides more information on what you care about, youd be able to keep up on what you believe in. 10) Donate If You Can All of these steps are optional but donating can be the most inconvenient. Unless you have excess money you can spend, donating can take a back seat while you pursue other methods of taking action. Donating to organizations and charities helps them be able to continue making a difference in whatever it is they focus on.