Why be politically involved

Here's a primer of some of the most essential steps you can take. If you haven't already done so, register to vote — not only for the presidential election this November, but also for your local elections. Make sure you check with the U. Currently, 39 states plus the District of Columbia allow online voter registration. If your state is one of them, you can go to Vote. You can also register in person at your local board of elections office, but with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it may be safer to register remotely if you can.

It's also important to encourage others around you to register, as well — even those who may feel apathetic about it or feel as if their voices won't be heard. There are two main ways you can do this. The first is to share the voter registration forms on social media you can find them here.

The second is to do it in person by handing out forms and volunteering. Amid the pandemic, more states have made it easier for people to vote by mail. According to the Open Source Election Technology Institute , 46 states now offer every eligible voter the option to mail in their ballot. To vote by mail, you can start by checking your state's absentee ballot rules and apply for your ballot on Vote.

Young people are also more motivated by a variety of issues. Freedom of speech is a good example — in 10 countries, to year-olds are more likely than people 50 and older to say they would take political action on the issue of free speech. Young people are also more likely to take action around the issue of discrimination in 10 countries, and notable age gaps are also found on poor-quality schools, police misconduct, poverty, government corruption and poor health care.

There is a strong link between education and political participation. In 13 nations, those with more education are more likely to post their views online. And in six countries, they are more likely to participate in a political protest.

People with more education are also consistently more likely to be motivated by certain issues. This is especially true regarding free speech: In 11 countries, people with higher levels of education are more likely to say they could be motivated to take political action on free speech issues. Poverty is the one issue where there are relatively few differences between those who have more education and those with less education.

Social networking usage is linked to greater engagement on issues. People who use online social networking sites are particularly likely to take political action across the full range of issues included on the survey. As a group, social networkers tend to be younger and more educated than those who do not engage in social networking.

In some cases, people on the political left are more likely than those on the right to take action. In eight of the countries in the study, respondents were asked to place themselves on a left-right ideological scale.

Opportunities may develop through local or state business associations, local civic or charitable organizations or local and state political functions. Relationships initiated through such meetings can evolve quickly into relationships that permit discussion of waste and recycling industry concerns. You cannot wait for problems to arise before you reach out to your legislators — by then it may be too late.

Just remember, any public or official function is an invitation and opportunity to build these relationships that are important to your company and your industry. The Importance of Being Politically Involved.

Hide comments. More information about text formats. Text format Comments Plain text. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. They may be personally motivated because of an event that changed their lives.

Some people have a strong sense of civic duty and a belief that they can influence government, which compels them to act. Barriers, such as legal obstacles, may preclude some people from engaging politically. Most people do not wake up one morning and decide that they are going to engage in politics. They must be motivated to participate, often by people or organizations reaching out to them and asking them to get involved.

Increasingly people received digital invitations to participate through Facebook groups formed by friends, e-mail solicitations from campaigns and interest groups, and podcasts from political organizations. Traditionally, political parties helped mobilize people by recruiting volunteers for campaigns and other political events. Parties provided a training ground for candidates and leaders and rallied people around issues.

People are more inclined to support a candidate who represents their interests than a political party. Stephen C. They use marketing strategies to target potential activists based on demographic characteristics and political orientations. Organizations acquire lists of prospects from political parties and market research firms, and they use these lists to contact people by mail, telephone, and e-mail.

Steven E. They can microtarget To use a marketing strategy in which potential political activists are identified and solicited on the basis of their demographic characteristics and consumer behavior.

Trade unions mobilize blue-collar workers, especially on behalf of the Democratic Party. Black churches are instrumental in organizing political action in the African American community, fundamentalist congregations provide a base for the Christian Right, and the Catholic Church helps mobilize the pro-life movement against abortion and anti—death-penalty activists.

People can establish the habit of participating in politics through political socialization The process by which people acquire their political beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Political experiences with families, schools, friendship groups, churches, community organizations, and mass media can motivate people to become lifelong political participants.

If your parents are community activists there is a good chance that you also will be active at some point in your life. Richard M.