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“This Article is Originally posted on ChangeRoots.com” (https://changeroots.com/2019/12/11/3-ways-to-make-a-difference-changing-the-world-with-political-awareness/ )
3 Ways to Make A Difference: Changing The World With Political Awareness
Posted byJake, ChangeRoots CEODecember 11, 2019Posted inUncategorized
It’s easy to feel powerless given our politics today. It feels like
the media, big money and the elite are manipulating the system to their
benefit at the expense of everybody else. You’re not wrong. But we can’t
let that continue. Each of us can do our small part to make our
republic better so that we can all live our best life.
Understand toxic partisanship
There’s nothing inherently bad about being a proud Democrat or
Republican. However, it can quickly become damaging when people consider
those in the other party to be their enemy. Learning more about how we
became so partisan and what forces make us feel that way gives you the
skills to prevent yourself and others from becoming dangerously
partisan.
For the bookworm: Love Your Enemies
For the article reader: No Hate Left Behind
For the data wiz: HiddenTribes
For the podcaster: More Divided Than Ever: Excavating the Roots Of Our Political Landscape
Define what matters to you
Some of us have a specific idea of what we want in a politician, most
of us do not. We don’t know what things we should value. Should we care
about policy? Experience? Effectiveness? Character? How should we
compare which factor matters more than another? If I think a candidate
is smart and honest, but they support policies I don’t like, how should I
feel? Unfortunately, there is no objectively right answer, but there is
likely a right answer for you. Thinking about this in a structured way
can help.
Since our brain likes to feel like it is consistent and logical, it’s
best to come up with a framework that makes sense to you, before
inserting any real person into it. This way, you may feel like you’ve
picked someone with a bit more thought than who you’d rather have a beer
with (but, hey we’re a democracy, so do what feels right boo).
Because it’s complicated and nuanced, most people feel overwhelmed
about the prospect of figuring out who they should support. This is a
big reason why we tend to ignore the political process until there are
only two options left to choose from…which has not turned out so well
for us.
If you need a place to start, I created a one-page(ish) framework to
evaluate the 2020 presidential candidate’s. It can be found here: What matters in a President: A framework for evaluating politicians.
Micro donate to your favorite candidate
Adding money to politics may not seem like a helpful thing on the surface, but political contributions
are a fundamental part of our democratic process, at least right now.
We can use it for good or opt-out and let the big companies and the
elite wield it for their self-interest.
Once you have an idea of which candidate you like, sending them a
small donation has an impact beyond just helping them buy more cheesy TV
ads. It sends a signal to the candidate and to other people that this
person is worth supporting – social scientists call this social norming.
Take two candidates, Ashley and Will. Ashley has received donations
from 20 million people while Will has received donations from 100,000
people. If we have no other information about either of them, we will
have a more positive view of Ashley because more people support her.
This is why likes and views dictate everything in the social media
world.
If there’s a candidate you support and you can spare the change, send
them a small donation and tell your friends – you’ll be helping them
more than you know.
Donate to Democrats: ActBlue
Donate to Republicans: WinRed
Donate to Independents: The google machine
Small steps add up
Politics is simply the name for how we – as a country – try to take
into account the opinions of over 300 million people. Looking at the
United States from that vantage, it’s pretty bananas we’re able to get
anything done. If we each take a little time to understand what we want a
bit better, life can get better for all of us. Remember, you have
influence, you just need to claim it.
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The Time Has Come To Take Toxic Partisanship Head On
January 28, 2020
In “democracy”
Systematic thinkers are the partisan sheep
We often think we choose our political team based on our policy preferences. However, research has found we often choose our political team primarily for social and emotional reasons. This is because the people we love are on a certain team, the team gives us a sense of belonging and…
December 11, 2019
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