Take the time to find a party you believe in
The sad truth is, many college students don’t vote. Only slightly more than half, 64 percent to be exact, even register to vote but only 54 percent actually do, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. I’ve often heard older adults - parents, sometimes teachers - bemoan the state of the nation’s youth who don’t care to have a voice in their government. However, the reason why young adults are so apathetic about politics is quite clear to me.
Presently, political arenas are tailored to relatively older generations, mostly because they’re more involved in the system. Unfortunately, this perpetuates a cycle of indifference, since younger adults would undoubtedly take a more active role if modern government appealed to them.
The root of the problem lies in the severe division between our nation’s leading political parties. Both Democrat and Republican party lines are becoming more extreme and it gives the impression that the United States is politically polarized, when in reality, a majority of the nation - more specifically a majority of the youth - lie along the median of the political spectrum.
Neither liberals nor conservatives cater to moderates.
The reason young adults, such as myself, hesitate to involve themselves in politics is because they can’t identify strictly with a single political party. This lack of affiliation makes it easy to become confused and internally divided - in my case it’s because it’s possible to concede points on both sides of any inter-party debate. As neither a strict conservative nor a strict liberal, when it came time to register to vote I began to research other possible options. That’s when I stumbled upon the Libertarian Party, the third largest party in the United States.
The Oxford American Dictionary defines a libertarian as “a person who advocates civil liberty” and “someone who believes in the doctrine of free will.” It further defines libertarianism as a “laissez-faire political philosophy, advocating only minimal intervention in the lives of its citizens,” which is probably the most straightforward explanation. I explored the party’s Web site, www.lp.org, to learn even more about the Libertarian Party’s positions. Their philosophy, as stated on the Web site, is inspiring: “Government at all levels is too large, too expensive, woefully inefficient, arrogant, intrusive … Americans want, and deserve, a political system which respects them as unique individuals; as people who can make their own plans, who can take responsibility for themselves, who are compassionate, and who can and will solve their own problems if allowed to do so.”
Libertarians, the site goes on to explain, have a very simple system of beliefs. As a citizen, libertarians are responsible for themselves and their family. They believe everyone has the right - and the freedom - to think, speak and act freely as long as they don’t harm others. Lifestyle choices of any kind - religion, sexuality, gun ownership, smoking, etc. - are left to the individual and shouldn’t involve government intervention. Therefore, the government’s role is merely to protect us against harm and fraud.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a party that adhered so closely to my personal belief system existed. I took their online “World’s Smallest Political Quiz” and discovered I agree with the Libertarian standpoint on 90 percent of the issues. The more I researched their perspectives, the more I agreed with their philosophies. Their stances on specific issues reflect their overall ideology.
Today, I’m registered as a Libertarian. I enjoy taking part in political discussions, especially now that I’ve found a party I can identify with. Personal political ideology is the root of the problem of lack of participation among American youth - they simply can’t relate to the major parties.
There are alternative parties; why settle for choosing between Republican and Democrat?
If the Libertarian Party isn’t for you, then take a look at other parties such as the American Independent or the Green Party - each of which serve different purposes.
Becoming politically active and having a voice in your government is the best possible way to initiate change, but change can’t be made until you know what you want.
Read the original article online here.
