A democracy is nothing without its people. The people are the ones who built up this government, fought for this government, and can help maintain this government. Our democracy has broken —partly due to the lack of engagement the average person has in politics. There are many steps you have to take to be able to vote, and there are even more steps that must be taken for the vote to count. This can lead many to not care about politics. It’s understandable—who wants to talk when no one wants to listen or change their opinions? However, just because it’s broken doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed. People shouldn’t have to learn about the government without guidance—we should be taught to and care about current events from a young age. If we are not taught about the current government, we can’t form our own opinions and take action. It’s hard to care when you feel as if you are not being represented but the less you know about what is going on and unless you take action nothing is going to change. We have an obligation to stay in touch with what is happening to our government, but sometimes it’s not our fault that we aren’t being heard. 

A democracy is supposed to be about the people’s choice being heard through representatives. Currently, the majority of those representatives are for one specific party. Not only that, but what ultimately decides the presidential election is the Electoral College, which has nothing to do with the majority of people at all. How is this representing the people? It’s not. That’s why many people choose to remove themselves from politics as a whole. They become uninterested because they think their vote doesn’t really count in the end. It’s understandable to feel that way, to feel as if there is nothing we the people can do to change the way the system works. This is no excuse to be uneducated about what is going on in our government. A lot has changed recently in our democracy.  If you are uneducated about what is happening, then you may never know if there is something you want to change. As you know less about the government it gives more power to those who already control the majority of the decisions. The power is supposed to be with the people. How can that power be with the people when the people are not knowledgeable about the government? Part of the reason I think so many people have checked out of the government is because the average person has not had much reason to worry about their safety in this country. But now more than ever, with immigrants being deported and the president changing many rules it’s important to step up and know what is going on. Otherwise we will continue to live oblivious to what is affecting millions of peoples lives.

You cannot only blame the people for not knowing about politics. Sometimes the media can make politics daunting and wordy. The average person doesn’t have the time or energy to decode these messages. This leads more people to become discouraged and not want to dive into politics. The upcoming generation is sometimes taught about world affairs and current events. Keyword: sometimes. And we have not been taught enough about the importance of information about current events. Most of the world has been through disasters that have torn people apart, usually due to political unrest. They have learned the importance of information. Our education system focuses so much on the past which teaches us about what not to do but it’s also important to know what is happening now. This helps set good examples and practices for the future when we have to make difficult decisions about whom to vote for. What students are taught in school is brought with them throughout their lives. Not learning enough about politics leads those students to have to dive into that topic on their own, which again can be daunting.

Politics is confusing, it can feel overwhelming but America is nothing without a democracy. A democracy that is held together by the opinions of the people. No opinion can be fair without background research. That’s why the people have an obligation to stay in touch no matter if it doesn’t affect them. Because someday, what the government chooses to do may affect you personally, and then you will realize the importance of information.