It's probably safe to assume that most of the American public is totally sick of politics at this point. Whether it's because of another one of Donald Trump's outrageously ridiculous statements that you have to reread because surely he didn't actually say that, or because of the constant Facebook bashing of some politician's new idea that, honestly, you didn't completely understand but didn't think sounded all that bad, modern politics can undoubtedly be a classic American anathema.
Regardless, it's important to remember that politics still matters. Especially with the 2016 presidential election quickly approaching, and with caucuses, primaries, and campaigning underway, now is the perfect time to start caring: Whether we like it or not, our government officials play quite the role in our lives- in our salaries, taxes, healthcare, security, firearms, education, and loads of other parts that matter. Even if you've initiated yourself into the unofficial yet super-cool anti-political counterculture (rites of passage: active proclamations about not voting in any election ever and complete skepticism about any positive change in America), you can start caring.
I do not suggest that you need to start sharing all of those overheated (and generally under-informed) articles on Facebook or start rioting in the name of your newest favorite presidential candidate. I'm also not suggesting that political science needs to become your dearest passion and that everything needs to affect you to your very core. However, I hope America will be informed and concerned about these pressing national and international issues. Here are some simple, non-intrusive ways you can be:
-Sign up for a daily email like The Week magazine's "10 things you need to know today" for a super brief update on important occurrences (and not just about politics).
-Tune into one — or all three — of the presidential debates this fall between the Republican and the Democratic presidential nominees to hear direct comparisons and contrasts between the goals of the two parties.
-Watch 10 minutes of news or aim to read one short current-events article online every day.
-Talk to people! One of the best ways to form your own opinions is to discuss and debate them with other people, preferably other educated ones such as yourself.
If you don't care about politics, maybe you'll find that you care about education, treatment of our veterans, women's rights, employing the disabled, paying taxes, or preventing war on our own soil. American democracy assesses these critical issues and invites us all to care about them.
