Many people feel a sense of commitment to their neighbourhood and are actively involved in activities to improve the quality of life there. For example, local residents engage in voluntary work, organise litter-clearing campaigns, set up collectives to purchase solar panels or form local care cooperatives. They may also be involved in the decision-making about the municipal budget. As local residents become more involved in public life, the role of government needs to adapt and take greater account of initiatives in the community.
This is called 'government participation'. Before you hired them, you would want to be sure they could repair bicycles. Then you would want to make sure that they did what you had hired them to do. Suppose the company did a good job. Then you would not worry about checking on them if your sister's bicycle needed repairs a few weeks later. Suppose the company did a bad job on your bicycle. Then you might want to replace them or watch them even more closely when your sister's bicycle needed work.
The same is true with the government. We should be sure the people we "hire" elect can do the job we are hiring them for. Once they get the job, we should keep an eye on them to make sure they are doing that job. If they do a good job, we may not watch them as closely. If they do a bad job, we may watch them very closely and may even decide to replace them. Participation in government is in our own self-interest. The amount of time we spend participating will probably depend on how well we think our elected officials are doing.
If everything is going well, we will spend less time than if we are concerned that someone is violating our rights. If we are pleased with the government, we may vote and do little else. If we are dissatisfied, however, we will probably take other types of action. This site is brought to you by the Center for Civic Education. The Center's mission is to promote an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy.
The Center has reached more than 30 million students and their teachers since Learn more. Email: web civiced. Media Inquiries: cce civiced. Check out Allsides. Facts matter: Is your news source trustworthy? Check out these non-partisan, nonprofits: factcheck. Fill your pocket with democracy. Get the facts on any politician or political candidate at the nonpartisan Votesmart.
Attend a discussion or event in your community or school about an issue you want to know more about. Shadow a public servant for the day to learn how our institutions work. Visit a museum. Learn about local, regional, and national history, and about those who have taken civic action in the past.
Visit a library. Librarians can point you to important books on our American democracy. Deep dive into the constitution. The National Constitution Center has an interactive line-by-line breakdown. Vote: Local, state, and national elections matter! Find out when elections are happening from U. Vote Foundation. Make a voting pact with your friends or family.
Collectively commit to register and vote. Remind each other regularly. Make a plan to go to the polls together! Volunteer to register voters. League of Women Voters in your area is a great resource for running voter registration drives.
If you are a boss, give your employees time off to vote. If you are an employee, ask your boss to consider this. Volunteer to work at a polling place. Offer to drive elderly voters or those without transportation to the polls. If you own a business, offer discounts to people who provide proof of voting on election days.
If you work at a business, ask your boss to consider this. Prepare to vote by checking ahead of time what is on the ballot, your polling place, and what you need to bring. Many states require identification such as a license or passport. If you are voting by absentee ballot , pay attention to deadlines and follow all the steps in the instructions.
Mark the date when voter registration ends on the calendar along with the dates for each election. Leave time in the day for getting to the polls.
Communicate with your elected officials to share your views on issues you care about. A letter, phone call , or visit are still the best ways to contact them. Write an op-ed or letter to an editor. Attend a city council or community board meeting. The National League of Cities can help describe its function. Advocate for civic education in schools. Not all states require it , and you can join the CivXNow campaign to push for it. Join a political campaign. Volunteer for your preferred candidate.
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