Political Participation

[Orion]

How do you participate in your country's politics?

 

[jujuman13]

I do not participate in my Country's politics.
I would if my vote was for the person i intended it to be for.
BUT, my Country takes all the overseas votes and regardless of who each person actually votes for applies the votes as thus.
First they find out which party each person has voted for, then whichever Party is in power at time of vote applies all the opposition votes to a Seat where the opposition has an enormous majority.
Whereas with all the votes for their own Party they apply these to a seat where with these overseas votes, there own candidate will be elected.
That to me is not Democracy.

 

[MaggieD]

I do all of the things you've listed. Under "Other," I also write letters to the editor at the Chicago Tribune and suburban Daily Herald. Occasionally, they're published.

 

[RyrineaHaruno]

I vote, and sign petitions. I also want to work as a poll both worker.

 

[Jucon]

Besides voting and writing to government officials, I constantly educate myself.

 

[peepnklown]

I used to do all of the above but now, I do not participate in this rigged game. I continue to educate myself.
If government gets its power from the consent of the governed then I do not consent.

 

[Andalublue]

I do not participate in my Country's politics.
I would if my vote was for the person i intended it to be for.
BUT, my Country takes all the overseas votes and regardless of who each person actually votes for applies the votes as thus.
First they find out which party each person has voted for, then whichever Party is in power at time of vote applies all the opposition votes to a Seat where the opposition has an enormous majority.
Whereas with all the votes for their own Party they apply these to a seat where with these overseas votes, there own candidate will be elected.
That to me is not Democracy.

Which country is that? I live in Spain but still have a vote in the UK. In the last election I registered to vote as a non-resident. My vote had to apply to the constituency in which I last voted, despite the fact that I no longer I have any connection with that area. It's a slightly restrictive rule but I can't think of how else these things could be decided.

 

[mac]

Other: All the above.

 

[Orion]

I've also done all of the above but to my amazement most of the people I know only vote. They have never even written their representative or signed a petition!

I think modern democracy is threatened primarily by lack of participation, and apathy.

 

[The Mark]

I've also done all of the above but to my amazement most of the people I know only vote. They have never even written their representative or signed a petition!

I think modern democracy is threatened primarily by lack of participation, and apathy.

Personally, I think we would be better off if the majority even bothered to vote, let alone sign petitions and the like.

I've only voted so far, but my interests may lead me to do more at some point.

Depending, of course, on the issues, candidates, etc.

 

[digsbe]

I vote, I have signed petitions, and "other." The other being the fact that I have campaigned for candidates in high school and went door to door to urge people to vote for the candidate I was campaigning for.

 

[Camlon]

In Norway (before I left) I voted, signed petitions and I was active in a political organization.

However in Auckland I only vote and sign petitions. I think New Zealand politics is fine and since I don't have a lot to complain about, then I don't bother to involve myself into politics.

 

[Gipper]

I helped campaign for Bush locally in 2000. Even got to meet the girls. I was hoping to see some drunk Republican titty, but I was denied.

 

[earthworm]

I do not participate in my Country's politics.
I would if my vote was for the person i intended it to be for.
BUT, my Country takes all the overseas votes and regardless of who each person actually votes for applies the votes as thus.
First they find out which party each person has voted for, then whichever Party is in power at time of vote applies all the opposition votes to a Seat where the opposition has an enormous majority.
Whereas with all the votes for their own Party they apply these to a seat where with these overseas votes, there own candidate will be elected.
That to me is not Democracy.

Nor is this good cognitive English. In other words, I cannot make any sense of this scenario.
Which nation is this??

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

I've voted before but now I don't do anything, except come on here.
I think this is the best place to make my political ideas known.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Option 1 2 and 3 apply to me.

Other: I donate to political organizations and people who I feel support and mirror my ideologies. They never reflect me 100% - but in certain important areas.
I research, heavily, to inform my family of various issues. They all avoid looking into politics and things that they support, claiming they don't have time. So I research, summarize and condense.

 

[jamesrage]

How do you participate in your country's politics?

I vote, sign petitions and write/email and fax my elected officials and once in a while I call them.

 

[Andalublue]

Which nation is this??

I asked him that already. For some reason he seems reluctant to respond.

 

[Groucho]

I voted for all as well as "other" because I've also worked on political campaigns and even been a campaign manager for a few.

But then again, the members of this Board are not in the slightest bit representative of the population as a whole...

 

[Barbbtx]

I voted on those and other. I have been voting on Youcut.com where you can choose what spending you'd like to see cut. Whichever one wins that week will be brought to the floor for an up or down vote. I guess that would count as other.

 

[Mell]

How do you participate in your country's politics?

I find out as much as I can about it, and about politics in general, so I can have better opinions and make better judgements about who I vote for, and so that I can be a better representative of my country when talking about it with people.

I always feel a bit silly and airy fairy, when I answer this question, because it makes sense while in my head, but does not seem quite enough when I am telling somebody about it. I suppose that is the problem with a lot of things such as politics these days. We feel so disconnected from it because we are just one person, pushing in a particular direction and maybe achieving nothing at all with it, with so many others pulling and pushing in different directions.

 

[pro-bipartisan]

All of the above, educate myself, work campaigns, election judge, etc. pretty much everything I can do.