To be effective, an individual or group must take action to convince others of the merit of their beliefs, plans, and goals. You are fortunate to live in a remarkable age. Along with more traditional tools for expressing political opinions, organizing groups, and promoting change, digital tools that give you the power to change the world are within your reach.
Perhaps the most fundamental act of citizenship that people can engage in is to stay informed about what is going on in their community, their province, their nation, and the world. As much as dropping voter turnout may threaten the foundations of democracy, equally disastrous consequences would stem from hordes of uninformed voters, unaware of the important issues of the day, rushing off to cast their ballots.
In this lesson, you will explore this question:
There are a variety of tried and true sources of current events information that you can access. Newspapers have served as a good source of current events information and political analysis for hundreds of years. Daily newspapers are under pressure to compete with a wired world where news is delivered often in real-time, as the news event is occurring.
Many daily newspapers are adapting, however, and now publish web versions to complement their paper copies. Newspapers are often an excellent vehicle for obtaining a more in-depth perspective on issues and events; something that is often absent from the newer, more “instant” news sources that are the hallmark of a wired world.
Radio and television are also excellent sources of news. Radio allows you to keep up with current events and important issues while commuting or carrying out other tasks. Many radio stations broadcast news on the hour or even the half hour, providing you with ample opportunities to keep up with what’s happening in the world around you. Television news programs offer the advantage of high-quality video. Sometimes moving images tell the story better than mere words. Like newspapers, radio, and television news organizations are adapting to the wired world and many stations’ news broadcasts are available for viewing on the Internet, downloading to media players, or streaming to cell phones.
Once again, it is worth remembering that newspapers, radio, and television companies sometimes cater to particular ideological collectives within society. This sometimes colours what news is reported and what facts make it into reports. It is worthwhile to access several different sources of news throughout the day to get a few different perspectives on events and issues. Ultimately, you will need to draw your conclusions from what you read, hear, and see.
As pointed out, more traditional news organizations are endeavouring to make use of rapidly advancing communications technologies. A visit to the website of most major news organizations will provide you with information on how to get headlines and news synopsis via technologies like RRS feeds, text messaging, and social networking applications.
Staying on top of the news is the starting point for being an active citizen, but complex issues can be viewed from a variety of perspectives. Before solidifying your own opinion on an issue, it is worthwhile to consider the views of others. Once again, there is a variety of ways in which this can be achieved. In this course, you have frequently been asked to discuss issues with fellow students, friends, parents, and others.
Hopefully, you will continue to engage in such discussions once you have finished the course. Other formalized vehicles for discussion are available to you, however.
For many people, issues in their community are of most immediate concern. Things like changes in local bylaws, development initiatives, and the rezoning of property for different uses can impact the citizens of a community. Often, before such measures are undertaken, public meetings are held. Attending such meetings is a great way to get information about proposed changes, hear what others have to say about the changes, and offer your thoughts and opinions. Whether you support the changes or are against them, attending public meetings is also a great way to connect with others who share your views.
During election campaigns, watch for campaign forums in your area. In campaign forums, candidates vying to be your governmental representative explain their party’s position on a variety of issues and try to explain why they deserve your vote more than the other candidates in attendance. There is usually an opportunity for citizens to ask questions of each candidate. Campaign forums offer an excellent opportunity for you to meet the individuals for whom you may choose to vote for and to get their opinions on issues of concern to you.
Newspapers, as well as delivering information, devote one section of the paper to voicing the opinions of readers. Newspapers typically publish letters sent in by readers on the editorial page. Writing a letter to the editor is an excellent means of expressing your opinion on an issue. Often readers will write in response to something another reader has written, highlight the weak points in the original writer’s arguments, or provide additional points of support.
If you want to contribute your opinions via this method, remember that your letter will stand more of a chance of getting published if it is well-written and succinct. Also, note that newspaper editors often reserve the right to edit your letter for brevity. This can potentially change the tenor of your letter, so you may want to carefully consider which newspaper you wish to correspond with.
As news organizations seek to modernize, many now provide online discussion boards linked to the news stories they publish on the web. These offer some advantages over the traditional editorial page. While there may be room for only a few letters on an editorial page, an online discussion board can accommodate the opinions of many more writers. As well, the web offers a degree of ease over printing and mailing a paper letter. There is usually still some control over these types of discussion boards, however. Posts are sometimes limited to a certain number of characters, so it is still important to be succinct in your writing.
As well, contributors hold very divergent opinions and can sometimes result in flame wars. If the discussion is moderated, the moderator may block posts by contributors who engage in personal attacks or post inappropriate content. When participating in discussion boards, try to avoid letting your emotions get the best of you. Keep the discussion centered on the issue and the facts. Other readers will appreciate it and sometimes well-written and insightful comments find their way to more prominent parts of the site, or in the case of newspaper websites, may also be published on the editorial page of the paper version.
Beware of social media as your only source of news. For example, it has been alleged that Russian state operatives developed ways to hijack social media platforms to spread false news and deepen polarization to influence elections in other countries. Scrutinize and fact-check these sources.
Yet social media is also used by politicians to communicate their ideas to the electorate. Social media campaigns are now an important part of most politicians' election campaigns.
How is social media used by citizens to influence politics?
Regrettably, for many people, communication with their government is limited to casting a ballot at election time. Between elections, they may express frustration with, or support for, government actions and initiatives. A comparatively small percentage of the population takes the time to express their opinions directly to those who have the power to act on them.
Because of this, a simple letter to an elected representative can sometimes carry considerable weight. For every person that is concerned enough to write a letter regarding a given issue, there may be thousands more who share a similar sentiment but, for whatever reason, have opted not to communicate their thoughts to their representative. Thus, the starting point for expressing your concerns about an issue to the government is writing your representative. Letters addressed to provincial and federal representatives do not even require a stamp. (In a democracy there should be no charge for expressing your thoughts to your elected representative.)
Virtually all representatives have e-mail addresses or web pages that provide constituents with a means of contacting them electronically. This may be easier for you than using the regular mail system.
Citizens can also communicate with many elected representatives via social media.
Regardless of whether you use traditional mail or electronic means to contact your representative, you should receive a response from them promptly. If you do not, or if the response you receive is somehow inadequate, you may wish to request a face-to-face meeting with your representative. This can usually be arranged through the representative's office. Bear in mind that elected officials have busy schedules and are sometimes out of the constituency when the legislature or parliament is in session.
It may take some time before you get your meeting. When you do meet with a representative, be polite and express your concerns in a reasoned and rational manner. Despite the negative press often directed at politicians, it is important to remember that they have opted to take a position in public service, sometimes leaving lucrative positions in the private sector to do so. Abuse at the hands of constituents will do nothing to encourage high-quality candidates to seek office, so keep your discussions professional and dignified.
It is reasonable to expect that citizens have a knowledge of who their elected representatives are and know how to contact them. Using the Internet find out who your local, provincial, and federal representatives are and record their names and contact information:
| Local Government | Provincial Government | Federal Government |
|---|---|---|
| I live in ward/division: | The name of my riding is: | The name of my riding is: |
| My councilor/reeve is: | My MLA is: | My MP is: |
| Contact information: | Contact information: | Contact information: |
As you well know from your studies, the workings of the parliamentary system of government sometimes impede an MLA’s or MP’s ability to adequately address constituent concerns. In such a case, you may need to write to a minister, the premier, or the prime minister. If the action you seek on your issue of concern is still not forthcoming, you may need to demonstrate that many other citizens share your concerns.
To that end, submitting a petition to the government may help to convince those in power to take the issue more seriously. In some cases, at the local level of government, a petition may even force a referendum or plebiscite to be held. If you choose to organize a petition, bear in mind that there are specific requirements that it must meet for it to be considered by the government. Petitions usually require the name and address of each contributor to be printed legibly along with their signature.
Those who sign the petition must be of voting age and need to be residents of the jurisdiction to which the petition will be submitted. This means that the signatures of those under the age of 18 will not be counted. Neither will those of people who, for example, reside outside of the province if the petition is being submitted to the provincial government. It is important to note that while web-based petitions may appear to be an easier option than a paper-based petition, they will likely not be formally recognized by the government because they do not include handwritten signatures.
Another option to pressure the government to act on concerns is to organize a public demonstration or protest. This may focus media attention on your issue and gain further public interest and support for your cause. On the other hand, if your protest violates the law or is associated with acts of vandalism or violence, your cause may be irreparably damaged.
If you are organizing a protest, encourage your fellow demonstrators to conduct themselves respectfully and to put pressure on their peers to do the same. It will also help your cause if you dress professionally during the protest. The more you look like reasonable, well-intentioned citizens, the more likely your protest will garner the interest and support of other citizens.
In previous lessons, you briefly explored some approaches to getting a political message out to the masses. Some of the websites you examined were the work of political parties and large, well-funded pressure groups. Single individuals or small groups can use the internet effectively to draw attention to an issue.
Perhaps you already have your website. If not, there are a variety of firms on the Internet which net that offer web space for free and/or at a relatively small cost. Your website can be an effective platform for you to comment on issues of importance to you through a blog, and to generate dialogue through a discussion board.
Social networking sites have become a very powerful tool for political organizations. If you have an account on a social networking site, consider using it as a vehicle for generating interest and support for a cause that is important to you. You can also seek out groups on the site that appear to share your concerns.
As part of your work in this course, you have listened to audio podcasts and perhaps even created one yourself. The necessary tools to create an audio podcast may already exist on your computer, having been included with the operating system. If not, free audio editing tools that work on a variety of computer platforms are available on the Internet. All you need to do is put in the appropriate keywords in an Internet search.
With these tools, you can stage your talk shows, create your audio documentaries, or get a political message across through music and sound. You can upload your podcast to your website or, for the widest exposure, publish it to one of the many podcast-hosting websites on the Internet.
Exponential growth in the use of video-sharing sites was evident as Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign made very effective use of the Internet. Moreover, many of Obama’s supporters, both famous and obscure, created videos expressing their support and admiration for Obama.
Some of these went “viral” when users began passing links to the videos on to friends, family, and colleagues. While it is difficult to determine how many voters were swayed by exposure to online videos, it is clear that this can be a powerful medium for spreading your political message. All you need to get started is a webcam, a microphone, video recording software, an Internet connection, and an account with a video-sharing service.
Consider carefully what you say and do when publishing any content on the Internet. Just as in the non-virtual world, you can be held legally responsible for slanderous statements. Also remember that once something is published on the Internet, it is virtually impossible to remove this information.
If you envision becoming the world’s foremost online political commentator or activist, know what you are getting into. Recognize that material uploaded to the Internet can sometimes bring negative attention as well as positive attention.
As previously noted, voting is the most fundamental act of citizenship in a democracy. If you are a Canadian citizen and are over the age of 18, you are probably eligible to vote in civic, provincial, and federal elections. For information on how to vote, and to ensure that you are on the voter’s list, you can contact the appropriate level of government.
Contact your city, town, or county offices for information on voting in local elections. Visiting the websites of Elections Alberta and Elections Canada will provide you with all the information you need to vote in provincial and federal elections.
Like most things in life, operating a political party costs money. Stationary, administrative help, party offices, and venues for conventions are not free. A well-funded political party has a better chance of getting its message out. If you strongly support the ideals and values of a particular party, you may wish to donate money.
To encourage citizen participation in the political process, donations to registered political parties are often tax deductible. For more information, contact the party you are interested in donating to.
If your interests lie in addressing a single issue more than supporting a political party, you can also donate to a pressure group. Depending on the status of the group, you may or may not be able to claim your donation as a tax deduction.
Becoming a member of a political party is a great way to get involved in the political process. Party memberships often supply you with regular updates on the party’s plans and policies. You may be able to attend party conventions, and attend and contribute to forums that help determine the direction of your party.
During elections, you can work with like-minded individuals by helping out with your local candidate’s campaign. Your efforts will likely give you access to campaign headquarters as the votes are counted and may lend invites to post-election social functions. Believe it or not, a political party membership can be a lot of fun. Like many things in life, you get out of it what you put into it.
The same can be said for joining a pressure group. Working from within a group, you can put to use some of the knowledge and skills you’ve picked up in this course to help bring attention and action to an issue of concern to you. You’ll also get a chance to meet people who share your concerns.
If you’re committed to making a difference in the political life of your community, you might consider running for office. If you are a member of a political party, you will have to vie with other party members who want to represent the party in the next election. In some parties, the competition will be pretty stiff, while in others there may be fewer political rivals. If you don’t belong to a political party, you can still run as an independent candidate.
Be aware that running for election takes a lot of commitment. Successful candidates put a lot of effort into contacting voters and listening to their concerns. Door-knocking, attending campaign forums, and speaking to the media will all become part of your life during an election campaign.
If you win, however, you’ll have an opportunity to help guide the policies of the government. Even if you lose, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you introduced others to the issues, ideals, and beliefs that are important to you.
If you’re not satisfied with the leadership of a political party, you have the option of trying to step into that role yourself. Several qualities help potential leadership candidates be successful. A solid understanding of government and political issues is essential. Polished public speaking skills and the ability to think on your feet are both advantageous. The ability to work well with other people is also an established prerequisite. Finally, as you have seen from the case studies covered in previous sections of the course, self-confidence and a thick skin are also helpful.
Usually, leadership candidates for political parties are long-standing party members who have already been elected as representatives in previous elections. This is not always true, however. Michael Ignatieff ran for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada in 2006 having only been a member of the party for two years. While he lost in the initial leadership bid, some perceived political mistakes by the winner, Stephan Dion, led to Dion’s resignation in 2008. When all the other candidates to replace Dion dropped out of the subsequent leadership race, Ignatieff was acclaimed as the leader of the party in 2009, only five years after joining the party.
In the United States, after almost a decade in state politics, Barack Obama ran for the U.S. Senate and won in 2004. His gift for oratory was highlighted by his speech to the Democratic National Convention that same year. Some people within the party encouraged him to seek the nomination as the party’s presidential candidate. After a primary race that pitted him against former first lady Hillary Clinton, Obama secured his party’s nomination.
In 2008, only four years after entering national politics, Obama stepped onto a stage in Chicago as the president-elect of the United States. He proved that a new and dynamic candidate has as good a chance of securing a leadership position as any long-standing member of a political party.
As a citizen of liberal democracy, you have at your disposal a variety of tools you can employ to address issues of importance to you and to advance the ideals and goals that comprise your political ideology. You can make use of an ever-growing variety of media sources to keep yourself informed about current events and political and social issues.
You have the opportunity to discuss important issues and deepen your understanding of them by interacting with others in campaign forums, editorial pages, online forums, and discussion boards. Effecting change frequently requires government action and a multitude of avenues exist for you to inform governments of your concerns, and to pressure governments to act on these concerns. Letter writing, meeting with representatives, starting a petition, or leading a protest can all be effective tools for achieving political action.
Just as a single snowflake can trigger an avalanche, a single individual can trigger political change. Life in the twenty-first century has put some of the most powerful communication and organizational tools in history into the hands of ordinary people. Internet and cellular communication technologies, which include personal websites and blogs, text messaging, and social networking applications, provide the potential for you to inform and motivate millions of people.
Political parties or membership in pressure groups offer another approach to political action. You can simply start by taking the time to vote for the party of your choice, or you can buy a membership in a political party or pressure group. From there, depending on your interest and enthusiasm, you can contribute to your organization in several ways, perhaps even seeking to become its leader. In fact, in the absence of alternatives, you may even choose to start your own political party or pressure group.
Ultimately, the degree to which you become involved in politics is a personal choice. At this stage in your life, you may be more focused on completing your high school education than changing the world. Perhaps the key thing to learn from this lesson is that you can change the world.
In the future, when confronted with an issue that spurs you to political action, you are now aware of the available range of actions.