Recently, I visited a friend that teaches at a typical small state university. Over an assortment of delightful micro-brew beers, we discussed the many problems and complaints one commonly finds on a college campus. This included the usual complaints that students have about faculty, the school, the local town, and local police force. My friend described one discussion in which his students expressed particular displeasure with the local government and the conduct of the police force. There was plenty of complaining, a general sense of frustration and helplessness, but no solutions to be found... not even a sense that solutions were possible. The town government was what it was and there was no changing it. That was the common wisdom.
Then my friend decided to remind them of a few facts. Join me on the flip-side for the details.
My friend reminded his students that:
- Local government is a product of local elections.
- Voter turnout at local elections was historically rather low; despite a population of several thousand people, typically only a few hundred would turn out for special elections and ballot initiatives.
- The student population dwarfs that of local citizens (more than three times as large actually).
- Most college students are of voting age.
If even one tenth of the student body banded together and voted as a block, they could sweep the mayoral and alderman elections in a landslide. They could run their own candidates and win, push through their own ballot initiatives, even replace the police chief.
In short, they could own that town.
Somehow that had never occurred to them. I wondered about that for a while. Perhaps it can be blamed on the political apathy that the young or often accused of, or maybe these fresh from home youngsters were just unused to the idea of having control over their own lives, or maybe national politics are soaking up all the attention.
But then my mind went back to something my friend had mentioned: In that town of several thousand people, only a few hundred ever vote. That is a theme repeated across this country I suspect. Even when national elections draw larger numbers to the polls, how many have bothered to inform themselves about the local candidates? How many citizens ever attend a common council meeting or talk to their alderman? In my anecdotal experience, not many. Political apathy is obviously not reserved for the young only.
And this is surprising when you consider how much more directly and immediately your local government impacts your life. Many of us dutifully go to the polls every two or four years and vote for a presidential and congressional representatives and feel our civic duty is done. Others think their vote is so diluted, so inconsequential, that they don't even bother.
But at the local level, one vote is not so diluted. One person walking a precinct and knocking on doors can have a dramatic impact on an election. Average citizens can actually talk to their elected officials, even run against them and win. It is politics at a much more personal and approachable level.
And don't underestimate the impact that can have. Alternative energy use, environmental issues, education, election reform, criminal justice... while federal legislation can advance the debate and allocate grants, implementation still happens at the local level. YOU can effect the policy that guides that implementation. YOU can decide that funds should go toward solar panels and low voltage lighting in the new courthouse renovation instead of for an unneeded fountain. YOU can rally local citizens and stop an area business from polluting. YOU can uncover wasteful use of property or sales tax revenue and demand change.
Furthermore, the positive impact of local activism does not end locally. Local programs often gain national attention and effect the national debate. Successful programs are often emulated at the federal level. Local politicians often go on to serve at higher levels of government, so electing good local candidates is often a long term investment in our national political health.
Like those students at my friend's university, we are often unaware of our own political power. It goes beyond the ballot box. Local government is specifically designed for a higher level of citizen involvement. Local politics is the grassiest of grass roots. You only need an issue that matters to you, and the will to act on it. Jump in. Attend a common council meeting. Talk to your alderman. Learn about the local political process and join the debate. Encourage others to do the same. It is fun, energizing, and addictive (a lot like DailyKos actually). It is a great way to bypass the Washington bureaucracy and the main stream media to effect real and immediate change.
The revolution may not be televised, but it will be localized.