Just the Beginning

For the past week, I have been going to bed after midnight, getting up at 6:20 a.m., working until 10:30, attending class from 11 until 1:30, and then, working again for a few more hours before various evening obligations (i.e., cookout and helping out with youth group). The reason I mention this is to provide a brief glimpse into how tired I have been feeling this week between all of the set-up for Special Olympics and the other activities with which I have been involved. Nevertheless, I did not realize how exhausted I actually was while I was in class. Sometimes I have a difficult time focusing in a class that lasts only an hour and fifteen minutes, yet I did not have that problem during these past four weeks. Class was always interesting, and I am glad that I was able to be a part of it. Not only was the content fascinating, but I found myself being challenged and encouraged to expand my knowledge and overall experiences. While previous experienced influenced me to pursue a minor in Political Science, this class definitely reassured me of my decision.

Personally, I appreciated all of the various topics that we discussed in class, and I hesitate to suggest that one or two of them were better than the others. Instead, I would like to focus on two of the "sexy" items we covered. First, elections are exciting times filled with energy and passion. I think that this past presidential election was one of the major contributions to my desire to become more involved in the political process. Unfortunately, as I mentioned before, I did not pay nearly as much attention to the local elections in Bloomington. On the other hand, this course has stressed the importance of getting involved on all levels. Still, I know that I have to do more than simply vote and leave it at that. Political participation is a daily process because politics are linked to virtually every aspect of life. Elections represent a clear example of how people can express their views on important issues. However, my second sexy topic shows that some of the most crucial issues are not always addressed by politicians. Talking about Social Security and Medicare helped me to realize that many people are not aware of the real problems that are facing the nation. Of course, the war and other recent events are pressing issues as well, but those are not as easy to overlook. In a country full of debt, I am not surprised that we do not really concern ourselves with deficits and debt nearly as much as we should. After seeing how our class, consisting of well-educated young adults, knew relatively nothing about this problem, I wonder how many other issues are we are overlooking in our daily lives.

Besides not being able to select one favorite aspect, I also have trouble picking my least favorite section. I can understand how some of my fellow classmates did not enjoy talking about public opinion. Many of the people in class already hold strong opinions about issues, and they understand how the public can influence politicians. Nonetheless, studying this topic is important to understanding the overall political climate in the United States.

In an earlier blog, I stated that I did not have a deep comprehension of the intricacies of the American political system. While I do not specifically remember all of the exact details, such as how much the government spends on certain programs, I have acquired knowledge about the process in general. As Where Does the Money Go? demonstrates, figures change on a regular basis, yet the underlying principles of the government remain fairly intact over lengthy time spans. I feel much more comfortable talking about politics, and I have gained a stronger urge to seek out additional information that will help me make better decisions.

After hearing people's feelings about Bartlett's generalizations of our generation, I hesitate to make similar assessments. Based on my experiences and what I hear from other people, I actually agreed with a lot of the statements that Bartlett made. I realize that his observations do not (and cannot) describe every member of our generation. Yet, I can see that many young people are not politically engaged. Even though turnouts have increased for the past two elections, participation goes beyond simply voting. Most people can show up and fill out a ballot, but being informed and active the other days of the year is something else. I think that we are making progress in this area, but I do not want to get ahead of myself because we still have a great deal of work left to do. With that said, I am optimistic that we can make a difference.

If I have not emphasized my suggestions enough, I simply want to reiterate that we need to get involved every day. We need to invest time in learning and growing on our own rather than simply trying to earn a grade. Then, we need to spread that knowledge with other people and invite people to get engaged as well. Of course, this process includes voting, but it entails much more than that. We need to get over the uneasiness we feel when discussing politics and ask the questions that no one else is asking.

I want to thank you for a wonderful experience, and I hope that you have a fantastic rest of the summer. I look forward to POL 221 in the fall.