Running Head: Political Participation
Political Participation in the Community
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Political Participation
Introduction
I.
Have you ever questioned if it is possible for a regular citizen to become a leader of
tomorrow?
II.
Do you believe that one person, or a group of a few people, can influence their local
communities by exercising their political influence?
III.
Today, I am going to illustrate the importance of political involvement in your life,
community, and in the entire country and convince you to become an active participant in
the political process.
IV.
I will present some realistic concerns that this generation faces while giving examples of
courses of action that may benefit you or your community.
(To begin, I want to explain why participating in and understanding your civic duty is
necessary to support and defend the democratic process)
Body
I.
The governmental structure of every state is modeled after the federal government;
however, the design and organization of local government may vary. It is important to
know how their community operates in order to volunteer or to run for an elected office.
A. Citizen participation in politics is important and has even been described as an
essential element of a good governance system (Democracy, Right to Participate
and the Electoral Process, n.d.).
1. Join a local activist group or a grass-roots organization with like-minded
people who share your goals and values.
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a. Recent studies have shown local groups can build trusting
relationships with local governments which, in turn, can positively
affect the intended political change (Morris et al., 2019).
b. Local groups may hold their members more accountable for their
actions and help keep them focused on their mission.
2. Donate money to groups if you are too busy to join.
B. Elected positions in local or state government may be an option for citizens who
are dedicated to serving in an official capacity.
1. Run for a position that allows you to make an impact, such as a local
alderman or a member of the school board.
2. Make the most of your opportunity to help your city or school, including
curriculum changes or local legislative reform.
II.
Political endeavors should not be limited to those who are elected to office. As legal
citizens living in the community, we must each exercise our constitutional right to vote.
A. The act of voting, in itself, can indicate certain things associated with an
individual’s character, including values, beliefs, and sense of duty (Blais and
Daoust, 2020).
B. The motivation to vote varies among different population groups and in different
regions of the country.
1. The older generation tends to vote for a particular political based on past
voting history and habits.
2. Young adults, however, are prone to be influenced by classroom
instruction and social media. Research has shown a direct correlation
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Political Participation
between educators’ political efficacy strategies and the youth participation
in the electoral process (Levy and Akiva, 2019).
3. In recent years, anger and the acts of incivility have increasingly become a
motivating factor in voter turnout in all age groups (Erisen, 2020).
(So far, I have spoken about the different ways we can make our voices heard. The question is,
will this really make our communities a better place to live?)
III.
Committed, focused involvement by ordinary citizens can benefit not only the
participants but the community and different groups of people.
A. Research supports the theory that community activism can revive the democratic
process while also prompting elected leaders to address disparities and
inequalities within the community (Simonson and Rahman, 2020).
B. Studies have shown that elected leaders are most likely to positively interact and
address the concerns of citizens who are consistently active in the political
process, leading to better outcomes that benefit the community (Noda, 2017).
1. Collaboration between leaders and grassroots organizers can help utilize
resources and expertise in a more productive way (Morris et al., 2019).
2. Levy and Akiva (2019) theorized that early political interest in the youth
will most likely translate to later involvement in local and community
organizations that will end up making a difference in many underserved
areas.
(Before I go any further, I want to say that political activism and violence are not the same thing
and no one has the right to break any laws while participating in events associated with any
political organization.)
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Political Participation
C. Political involvement is necessary to achieve desired outcomes; however citizens
should always act responsibly and think of the consequences related to becoming
overly emotional about an issue.
1. Social media and certain news outlets may lead to angry outbursts and the
violation of social norms, causing the members to become uncivil to those
with different ideas than their own (Erisen, 2020).
2. Political activism carried out in a legal manner has the potential to bring
about reforms to culture and the laws that govern a community (Simonson
and Rahman, 2020).
Conclusion
I.
In summary, political participation within the community is necessary to bring
about growth and change.
II.
There are numerous ways for people to get involved at a low level and work their
way up to an elected position.
III.
For those citizens who do not have time to serve in a full-time capacity, they have
the power to cast their vote for political and legislative reform.
IV.
Political involvement can trigger many emotions, so it is best to act in a rational
manner and to consider all sides of a debate.
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Political Participation
References
Blais, A., & Daoust, J. F. (2020). The motivation to vote: Explaining electoral participation.
UBC Press.
Democracy, right to participate and the electoral process. (n.d.). OHCHR. Retrieved April 25,
2023, from https://www.ohchr.org/en/topic/democracy-right-participate-and-electoralprocess#:~:text=Political%20and%20public%20participation%20is
Erisen, C. (2020). Anger in political decision making. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of
Politics.
Levy, B. L., & Akiva, T. (2019). Motivating political participation among youth: An analysis of
factors related to adolescents’ political engagement. Political Psychology, 40(5), 10391055.
Morris, J. C., McNamara, M. W., & Belcher, A. (2019). Building resilience through
collaboration between grassroots citizen groups and governments: two case
studies. Public Works Management & Policy, 24(1), 50-62.
Noda, Y. (2017). Trust in the leadership of governors and participatory governance in Tokyo
Metropolitan Government. Local Government Studies, 43(5), 776-797.
Simonson, J., & Rahman, K. S. (2020). The Institutional Design of Community
Control. California Law Review, 108.