How can you get people to care about politics?

[UGABrother]

I was just reading the thread on how young women make up a great untapped voting bloc, and it got me thinking more generally about how we as a society could get people more involved in democracy.

IMO, a big part of the problem with our current system is the diffusion of responsibility. In other words, people feel less personal responsibility to right wrongs when they're part of a large group. You may have heard the anecdote found in many introductory psychology textbooks about how a crime can be staged on a crowded city street in broad daylight, and no one does anything because everyone feels only 1/n of the responsibility for what's happening (where n is the number of people on the scene who could have done something). In this light it's understandable that so many people opt not to vote at all.

Theoretically then, I think one way to get more people to vote would be to reduce the size of the crowd that they belong to. This means chaning the electoral system so that instead of entire states going to one candidate or the other, maybe each county could have an electoral representative, and you'd have blue and red counties within each state. That way, if you're in liberal Austin, TX, (to take one obvious example) the fact that the majority of Texas is conservative wouldn't deter you from voting because you could still deliver your county for Kerry.

I actually think a system like this would be better from a psychological standpoint than just eliminating the electoral college and counting popular votes, because people would be motivated to get out and "make ___ County blue!"

I'm curious, what other ideas do people have for correcting the depressing lack of political participation in this country? My idea is kind of academic, but of course practical ideas that we can implement now are better.

[IronLionZion]

1. We need more independent thinkers

and fewer establishment tools. People aren't interested in elections when rich old people make policy anyway.

We need more candidates like Howard Dean and his grassroots campaign.

[Killarney]

2. A major problem is "the big lie"

That Democrats and Republicans are the same. That's why so many young people don't vote. Why bother voting when there is no difference? They don't see the difference and many fucking assbags (including people here on DU) continue to peddle this lie. They peddled it in 2000 saying Bush and Gore were the same and even after everything Bush has done in the past 3.5 years, they're still peddling the same lie that Bush and Kerry are the same. Ridiculous.

[UGABrother]

7. Yeah,

I think a lot of people get off on the situation being hopeless for some reason. I guess it's kind of exciting to feel like the whole system is against you and we're revolutionaries/martyrs fighting a noble lost cause.. Those types of people don't really affect positive changes though, they're just in it for the romance.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. As with any area of neglect in life, you must demonstrate

that the COST of not participating is greater than the PAYOFF.

I had a conversation with one of our employees about this last Friday. She is in her 20's, a single mother, and has never voted. Her payoffs were that she didn't understand most of the issues, that she wasn't (didn't have to be) paying attention, that she was busy and didn't make time to vote.

I demonstrated to her that the energy she spent paying attention to pop culture items could be better spent ensuring that her daughter had a viable future to live into and that that future was only a decade away...I demonstrated that while her wages were remaining stagnant no matter where she worked (we pay slightly above the going rate for her data entry duties) that CEO's that were behind companies that were LOSING money for their share holders (i.e. failing at their jobs) were seeing their salaries increase up to 27% then asked her to imagine her own salary increasing by that much and what she would be able to accomplish if she weren't just trying to make enough for rent, food, and a minimum of clothes.

The conversation touched on much more...but then I asked her to imagine if she and all her female friends in similar situations voted....don't they believe they outnumber the ultra wealthy?

Everyday since then she has asked me SOME political question...and she asked me to bring her a voter registration form..which I did (gave her a few extras too)

[fudge stripe cookays]

12. That's GREAT!

Good for you!

I'm trying to reach out to young single women by discussing the way their rights are being eroded.

I admit though, it was much easier for me a few months ago when Dean was my candidate. I know my enthusiasm was much more infectious. Now I have to work at it.

Anyone near the Metroplex with voting age or near voting age daughters or daughters' friends, let me know. I'm still trying to get kids over to the house for a choice discussion group and movie watching party.

FSC

[SharonAnn]

4. And yet, we all know the power of a group. When we want to

change something, one of the first things we do is try to get a group together so that there are many voices.

Do we need to find a group to align with in order to care about politics? If so, how do we do this for people who are more aligned with ideas and issues than they are with political parties?

[Dogmudgeon]

5. Help them feel the ache

Most people have numbed themselves to the pain that our increasingly unjust society gives them. Getting them to consider how they've been afflicted usually does the trick.

The Republicans have been supremely successful with this tactic over taxation. But it will backfire soon, since people will realize that the entire tax system has been built by Republican plutocrats who then blamed it on Democrats.

Most people also think that since they're "law-abiding" citizens, that the loss of civil rights won't affect them. A few newspaper clippings or net printouts of such citizens who are suffering the full fury of the law should be instructive. There are plenty of cute 19-year-old girls doing hard time because their idiot boyfriends were caught with drugs.

There's a lot of injustice in the USA. Bring it to peoples' attention, and they will become politically aware. And some will become politically active.

--bkl

[seabeyond]

6. lets set up booths on universities this fall

and have sign...........

Why Vote?

Take responsibility, be informed

and have well educated adn informed people sitting there to chat

[seabeyond]

11. my almost 16 year old niece is such a mess

sittin here thinking with this. and she is such a mess. two irresponsible self centered adults that think life isnt fair and they are picked on by all. one an alcoholic most of life and now sitting in jail, and a mother that cant get it together enough to gather the three kids and take care of them. my father and i have been taking care of these kids, yet they are so picked upon, and take no responsibility in life. a mess

niece wants to come back and live again, after having abortion, and almost flunking school and saying, i did better than previous years. not good enough

told father, the only way i would bring her back, put her in my house. yet, what can i do. i dont do whining and lieing and not owning.

i saw the most nifty for this beautiful girl, i dont want to give up on yet. bring her back for fall election and sitting on a college campus and see her responsibility in creating her life, that she isnt powerless. and talk to older kids, in the educational system, that grew up so differently from her.

four months. and she can decide what she wants in life. i am not playing or giving her the loser role. i do embrace the i am powerful and can do role though. hers to chose

totally personal and ramblin, but fun and thank you for the opportunity

[fudge stripe cookays]

14. Good idea...I did this last year

and it worked GREAT!

We got with the Young Democrats at UNT (just so happened the president was a Dean fan, so was willing to help) and set up a table for Dean in the student union. We had a little TV/VCR and showed one of his appearances, which attracted some folks.

Here's what we brought for the table:

1) Voter registration cards to give out (I wasn't a registrar yet)
2) Lists of progressive Web sites and books to get the truth out to folks who didn't know about them
3) TONS of Dean's position papers
4) Free bumper stickers (*)
5) Free buttons (*)
6) T-shirts
7) Notices of the new breakaway meetup that was just getting off the ground in Denton
8) Advice and lots of camaraderie for students that hated Bush!

(* I paid for these out of my own pocket and didn't charge THEM. College students are broke. It was better that they get the word out, even if it cost me a couple of bucks!)

Anyone up for it? Figure out when classes start for both summer sessions and the fall semester. Think about everything ahead of time so you have enough chance to get a real action plan together.

Most universities won't let you do anything on campus unless you're working WITH someone who's registered on campus. Go to the student activity center and find out who the head of the Young Democrats is on campus. Then see if they can get you hooked up with a prominent spot during a high traffic time.

I figured the union would work well for us because (as a UNT alumni I knew that) everyone would be heading to the student bookstore to grab textbooks and on-campus students would be going to the union post office to get post office boxes for the semester. Plus the usual crowds grabbing fast food between classes at the eateries there.

Here's how well we did. Initially, the number of folks who were interested in the new meetup was around 5 or 6 that the leader knew about.

The final total that next Wednesday was over 60!! And not just from Denton. Folks spread the word to surrounding towns like Krum, Lake Dallas, etc. Everyone was flabbergasted at the turnout. Don't think it can't make a difference! There are HUGE numbers of young students that have to understand the importance of ALL elections, but especially this one.

Make sure they know about the info in BrendaStarr's post #13. It's real, it's genuine; it's happening, and no amount of burying their heads in the sand is going to change things! I'm fortunate they're making the cutoff age 35 (or so I heard the other day) or I'd be shaking in my F'in boots right now. My arthritis would probably be enough to get me out, but there's no telling.

We can DO this, people. I'll keep posting stuff to keep this kicked for Tom! :-)

FSC

[seabeyond]

18. thank you thank you

a couple more ty's.........glad i came 5 pages back and found this post, lol. i am in panhandle of texas, looking at the junior college in town, adn west texas state university. adn i figure my little niece my here enough people thinking, you know that deep thinking stuff.

thanks

i am going to the next kerry meetup. haevnt been able to, little kids ect, adn end of school year. everything fell on that thurs. but this will be great to see what they are doing.

appreciate

[fudge stripe cookays]

19. You're welcome!

:-)

[2Design]

8. hard when money is what makes the difference

when our government only does what big contributors wants and destroys those against them.....it is really hard to believe you can make a difference...

hard when they are unwilling to count the votes.....

[Kinkistyle]

9. Taking a few of them to see "Fahrenheit 9/11" might help.

Supposedly it has several very emotional moments with regards to the soldiers in Iraq and their family. There are also the priceless Bush antics which should make anybody with half a brain either angry or scared.

[UGABrother]

10. If it comes to Georgia, you bet

last I heard some douchebags in high places were trying to keep the movie from showing here.

[BrendaStarr]

13. Warn about the Draft.

It is going to be men and women this time.

Of course the news media is underreporting this.

Just like they buried the evidence that Iraq had no WMD before the war.

I'm sure most news venues have their marching orders from Rove too about what they can and can't talk about.

Bush plans multiple invasions!

This cannot be done without a draft.

BTW according to "Against all Enemies" the occupation plans for Iran are also already in existance.

And did they ever get rid of their WMD?

They almost have a nuke now and they sound more bitter than NK.

[SmokingJacket]

20. Might take an *actual draft* before it sinks in...

then look for a retake of the 60s.

[Zinfandel]

15. KICK!!!

:kick:

[SiouxJ]

16. You have to show them how it affects them personally

I've been trying to get business associates more interested in voting by explaining how the current admin. hurts their (our) business. You have to give them examples of things that they can relate to. They won't act until they can see that it could really hurt them if things continue the way they are.

For example, I'm in the wholesale business and I've been telling my clients how ASScroft wants to censor anything he doesn't agree with and possibly put people in jail for going against HIS morals. Down the road, this could mean they (my clients) can't sell stuff he doesn't approve of on the Internet. I give them examples and show them how it could easily be them that he goes after.

Also, I do a lot of International business, as do some of my clients. I try to make them understand that Shrub screwing up our International relations is going to eventually affect their business overseas. If people don't want to buy American stuff, we are gonna take a hit. Right now my International customers dislike Shrub, not the American people, but if we give him another term that will change and they WILL dislike us as a people.

It's usually not too difficult to find some way in which this admin. has or will hurt them directly. You can be subtle and soon you'll see it sinking in. I have.

[DWolper]

17. Europe Having The Same Problem & it IS a problem

It's a damn good question as to what we can do to get people motivated to care about politics. We aren't the only ones though. Did you see the turnout for the recent EU elections? It was a freefall and was called a disaster. But look who did vote. The UK Independence Party had the biggest increase percentage wise and came in third or fourth I can't remember which. Other rightwing parties in other EU countries also did well. Scary.

[maggrwaggr]

21. let them know they're about to be DRAFTED

that'll wake their asses up.