Top 3 Ways to Stay Politically Involved In 2021

We have a new President, but now what? Well, the Trump administration has left the office, and Biden has officially moved in. It’s been over a month, and already, Biden has banned the Wall project on the Mexican boarder, rejoined the Paris Agreement, and as picked the most diverse staff this country has ever seen–women, African Americas, Native/indigenous people, and multiple religions are apart of his administration.

However, just because we got a new president and a new administration, does not mean we are done with our fight to change, nor does it mean everything will be resolved. Here are three easy tips you can do to stay engaged and to keep our elected officials accountable.

Keep Up Involvement

In 2020, we have seen an incredible increase with our political engagement in the U.S. Overall, more people ages 16-30 years old were more involved. Whether that was signing petitions, attending protest, calling elected officials, or sharing social media post, there was a lot more engagement last year. The voter turn out was about 67% last year, a record since the 1900 election. The more people talked about the election, the more politically knowledgeable and involved people became. However, just because we got a new president an a new administration, does not mean we are done. We must keep this energy and remain involved. This includes the national level, as well as locally. We must continue voting for our state representatives in the senate, as well as the house representatives, which is specific for your district in your state. We must also do our own research on who is running, and their “promises” if elected. It is time to stop focusing on the party they are affiliated with, and start focusing on their objectives, their plans, and what they plan to do for you and your community. Keeping up with elections and policies can not only help you gain political knowledge, but help you better educate others on topics they are not familiar with.

Write Letters

One thing people have done more of in 2020 was writing and contacting their public officials. Hand written letters are proven to be more persuasive to motivate your elected official, versus an email or a phone call. Many times, the emails can go to junk or spam, or they can stop answering the phone if a lot of people start complaining about an issue. A hand written letter is more personal, and makes the official take your concern more serious. Some officials even read these letters at meetings and events to share the concern of their constituents. Make sure that if you want to continue to make change, start by signing petitions and writing letters.

Pay Attention

Do your own research. Do not solely rely on others to educate you. Find your elected official’s website, look up policies they have enforced, and what they want to change. You can not believe everything you hear or read, so be sure to look up who your source is. Is your source meant for conservative views? Or is it a source that is not American, and does not have all the right information? Be sure to fact check your source, or the person relaying information to you.

It is easy to stop caring about the government or policies when it isn’t an election year, however, we must hold those in office accountable. Following these three easy tips will help our country stay involved and move in the right direction.

With Love,

Brooke