Should We Participate In Politics Analysis

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McWilliams claims that people in the United States do not know how to use their knowledge on political models. The do not have a good grip on the situation also does not know if what they are doing is right or wrong. They have the right but they don't use it because they do not know if it is achievable or practical. I agree with McWilliams claim because most of the citizens in the United States have a lack of knowledge to participate in politics. Even though we should all participate in politics because if our government collapses then we do not have anything to look forward to. We have earned their rights so why do people think there is an option of depriving ourselves of it. For example, Voting is the most important thing to participate in politics but many citizens do not show up in the election because they think it is optional. …show more content…
People do not understand that there is an aftermath that we may have to face if we do not take a hand of our opportunities.
Most people participate in politics by voting and protesting. Voting is a big way of participating in politics because we are the people that vote count in general elections such as president, congress, and state of local government. We are the ones that attend to the campaigns for the candidate or the party we support and think that will give us a better future. We then protest and boycott to the candidate we do not share the same political views on. Many public ways to participate in politics is by working for a candidate or political party. They can make presentations about their representative and share their thoughts with their community. It states that” People may participate in politics in many ways. They can write their Representative or Senator, or work in for a candidate or political party. They can make presentations to their local school board or city council, or call the police to complain about the neighbor's dog. Partly because of our federalist system, people have many opportunities to participate in our democracy on federal, state, and local levels. Some forms of participation are more common than others and some citizens participate more than others, but almost everyone has a voice in government,” (http://www.ushistory.org/gov/4d.asp). Hence, people need to take a hand in the opportunities that they are given. There are many ways that the Americans make us those types of political participation because despite the freedom of voting that was given to 18-year-olds to vote they do not take use of it, instead there is a big gap in the middle which states that the people that mostly vote are in their forties. It states that ” Despite the big push in the early 1970s to allow 18-year-olds to vote, 18-24-year-olds have consistently held the lowest rate of voting. In fact, in recent years their older siblings (age 25-34) don't do a whole lot better. The highest percentages of eligible voters who actually vote are in those groups 45 and above.” (http://www.ushistory.org/gov/4d.asp). Other ways people participate in politics is by going to jury duties. People can understand the whole trial process and give his or her opinion without facing any hesitation when the judge ask for it. There is also a scope to make consensus among the juries in a democratic way. But people are less enthusiastic to participate in jury duties because of their ignorance to uphold the democratic practices. On the most common way to practice democratic right in various local government decision-making process for each people to protest and agree actively. But here we see the less interest to participate, as people are not directly benefited. Most people show different excuses not to present or escape from practicing democracy. Early 1790s people also practicing vote in a different way. At that time only wealthy and white people were contesting as a candidate. Other people vote for them as per their ways. At that time women had no right to vote. Only older people vote. In the 1850s most people were farmers and were illiterate. They were to vote for those who offer them alcohol, food or money or in another words were bribing the farmers to vote for them. There was no secret ballot, everybody was to say who they would vote for freely.

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