Politics | Reform Politics

Is it Time to Return to the Polis?

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A lot of Americans are concerned these days with keeping politics local, but few of them are aware that this concern literally dates back to the dawn of democracy. For the ancient Greeks, the polis, usually translated city state, was the center of civic, religious, and political life. Not every polis had the same system of government, but an important factor in the polis was the fact that they governed themselves. A primary function of all the poleis was to maintain freedom and autonomy, from other city states or from larger powers. When the Romans and Macedonians eventually took over Greece, many of the poleis fought hard to maintain their autonomy in local political affairs wherever they could.

The Greeks new something about city planning, and they knew something about democracy. Each polis would set up its own political system. A few of these were dominated by an aristocracy of the most wealthy landholders, or even by some form of royalty. However, most polis political systems were democracies, often with much more egalitarian organization (between the citizens; not much good can be said for the condition of Greek slaves) than exist in modern political systems.

In the modern age, taking over other people’s governments doesn’t quite have the same cache that it had in ancient Greece. Generally, anyone doing it has to offer some plausible explanation that frames it as some form of self defense. We don’t have a great system of slaves to build our society, but we do have the advantage of technology which accomplished hundreds of times more than what a Greek slave could in a given day. The federations of city states failed to protect ancient Greece, but perhaps it is not foolhardy to believe that some form of modern political configuration could do better. And, in doing so, perhaps we could see politics truly return to the local.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Ancient Greece, City-state, Democracy, Greece, Macedonians, Polis, Politics, United States

How to get Involved in Local Politics

For most of us, memories of high school civics class are a blur; it was a long time ago, and we were more interested in other things. To add insult to injury, generally, they didn’t even teach us the most important part! Fortunately, you’ve found just the article. This is the right place to be for learning everything you need to know about getting politically active in your community.

The number one rule of local political involvement is, show up. You can find out when and where to show up by looking at your city website, or calling your political friend, or even just walking in city hall. On a local political scene, you aren’t competing against millions of straight ticket voters. If there are ten people at any given meeting with the same opinion at any given meeting, those people will probably win. You have ten friends, right?

The number two rule of local political involvement is, listen. Yes, you should probably listen during all of those incredibly dry meetings, but that’s not what I mean. Listen to your friends. Listen to your neighbors. You wouldn’t be here unless there were something important to you in local politics; maybe you’re concerned about how your child’s school is funded, or the liquor store that just opened down the street, but something matters. Find out what matters to the people around you. Pay attention to what they care about, when they talk about it, and when it comes up at meetings. People will appreciate your vigilance, and support you in your political efforts when you need it. The greatest factor alienating the American people from government is their keen awareness that it is not by or for them; this is your chance to reclaim.

Lastly, pay attention to a few matters of form. Most local political meetings follow bizarre and complicated etiquette, which you can learn about by reading Robert’s Rules Of Order, looking at your council bylaws, and asking questions to the people who seem nice.

Now, keep your chin up, and go take your local political institutions by storm!

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Democratic Party (United States), Directories, Local government, Political campaign, Politics, Proportional representation, United States, United States House of Representatives

The Political Activism Theory of William Domhoff

William Domhoff is a professor of psychology and sociology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is also the author of a book called Who Rules America. Domhoff basically does sociology about power structures in the United States, tracking down decision making, power, and patterns at many levels. He also, as a social scientist, has some very specific advice for those who wish to change society. Here are the findings he says social science indicates for political activists.

What Domhoff calls “change agents” are people who are deeply devoted to creating social and political change, to the point that they will give up having a normal life. Change agents have to understand the differences between themselves and everybody else. Everybody else will not step outside their routine, and look for a way to change the world for the better, unless something disrupts that routine. Change agents must be patient and wait for something to naturally disrupt those routines, or they must find ways to disrupt the routines without alienating the people they wish to ally themselves with politically.

The research tells us that those labeled “extremists” can be effective agents for social change, because extremists can also be moral exemplars. However, it warns that those extremists who are too far outside the mainstream are not listened to at all; they will be politically ignored. Therefore, the goal for an activist is to be just extreme enough to be effective. The research also shows that a small group of very organized, very disciplined, and very motivated individuals can be extremely effective. Such groups gain a lot from the strength of their ethical beliefs, and from their shared understanding of how the political world works.

Lastly, according to Domhoff, the research indicates that to be successful, change agents must be extremely respectful of the existing structures and culture of the society they are trying to change.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Activism, Decision making, G. William Domhoff, Politics, Social Sciences, Sociology, United States, William Domhoff

Problems in Politics

A common aphorism on democracy is that it is “the worst of all political systems. . . except for all the rest.” Whether you find this banality charming or annoying, it seems that despite the widespread support of democracy it expresses, few people actually care about the quality of their society. After all, less than half of registered American voters bother to show up at their poling places, let alone participate in the messier nuances of public life. For a people so enamored of our representative government, we’re strangely disenchanted with our political opportunities.

However, this is only on first glance. Looking deeper, many of our political opportunities are not so sterling as they appear. How likely are you, really, to improve society with a vote? Can you improve society more by voting than you can by being careful where you spend your dollars? Where you work, and what you do in that work? More than you can by staying home and spending time with your children? It’s a difficult question. Many of us wonder if politics are a way in which our society can be improved at all. This is an age when millions of dollars can’t buy ad time, if the advertisement in question would be bad for the business interests that keep the station running; say goodbye to ads against eating disorders. This is an age when organizations like ACORN pay people per voters they register, whether those voters are real or not. When both public discourse and grassroots activism have been so grotesquely hijacked, it seems reasonable to wonder what kind of society we have left.

Even worse, business and politics fade into one another more obviously than they have at any point in history since the time of Tammany Hall. When so much has been taken over by the mechanisms of greed, trustworthy organizations and strong citizen activism are more important–and more precarious–than ever.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, Campaigns and Elections, Democracy, Democratic, Politics, Republican Party (United States), United States, Voting

Why Electronic Voting Should Matter to You

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Our society is increasingly reliant on its technology, at every level; politics is no different. Ours has changed the way we monitor our politicians, the way we engage in public discourse, the way we learn about politics and society–and the way we vote. Not who we vote for–how we vote. We use screens instead of paper. Most voters don’t think of it often, but behind those screens, there’s software, and hardware. It’s some of the most political technology imaginable. If the quality of our society–the quality of our community, the quality of our lives–depends on our votes, why should we leave those votes in untrustworthy hands (or chips, or removable storage media)?

The systems that maintain our societal values are only as good as our ability to keep them in check. In political systems, there is real, tangible power to be had. Despite this, only 27 states require that electronic voting systems leave a paper trail. In the remaining 23 states, once your vote goes into the computer system, you–and your society–are at the mercy of whoever made that system, and whoever is able to break into it and change the information that’s been entered. Instead of having to destroy large volumes of physical evidence, hijacking an election now only requires keystrokes. One is forced to wonder what would be required to hijack the political system at large. One documentary, titled “Hacking Democracy,” demonstrated that this is astonishingly possible, finishing its reporting by showing an in-use voting machine hacked on screen.

Maybe you’ve voted in every election since Nixon, or maybe you’re looking forward to your first. In either case, when you get to the voting box, remember that there are more choices in front of you than the candidates. Not to mention the time is dramatically reduced, you could use that time for something more productive. Florida vacation rentals range from magnificent condominiums to poolside villas to beachfront homes to country cottages. You do not have to decide which is best for you, visit them all. Lets not have a society where the best hacker wins; lets not have a society whose entire political system is hostage to the latest technology.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Campaigns and Elections, Election Equipment and Technology, Electronic Democracy, Electronic Voting Systems, Hacking Democracy, Politics, Voting, Voting system

Politics of Environmentalism

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A drive to improve the future of society by safeguarding environmental resources has long been associated with left-leaning politics. However, an important possibility that few people consider is that the politics of environmental conservatism can be compatible with fiscal responsibility. This powerful combination, seldom explored in politics, could offer American society the future it’s looking for.

Fiscal responsibility is incredibly important in creating a healthy and mature society. With both national and consumer debt skyrocketing, more and more Americans are interested in a national budget that’s balanced, and a tax system that is simply and fairly designed to keep it that way. The need to preserve the earth’s resources for the future of society has been so often discussed that it hardly needs to be re-iterated. It should go without saying that if our air, water, and food sources are poisoning our bodies, no amount of money can make up for what we would loose.

So what environmental threats can be dealt with in a fiscally responsible way? Energy independence means developing local alternatives with American workers, and offers an opportunity to create clean new alternatives. This would improve society by bolstering the domestic economy. Certain practices that are givens in current politics–like corporate welfare, which protects organizations that use resources which should be protected for all–could be eliminated for great benefit to society.

The politics of environmental responsibility doesn’t have to be about increasing expenses. It doesn’t have to be about expensive government programs, and it doesn’t have to be about passing the cost of environmental degradation on to tax payers. Rather, it could be a matter of improving society by increasing innovation and creating American jobs. It could be about developing a political structure that, instead of being a drain, improves society by serving the people, and by preventing violence against the environment.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Climate change, Education, Environment, Environmentalism, Government, Politics, Religion, United States

Organizing for a Better Society

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Ever since democracy got it’s start in the ancient world, ideas have abounded about how to make a society better. In our time, one of the most unique approaches comes from the political organizing style that finds its heritage with Saul Alinsky and the IAF, or Industrial Areas Foundation. Some of the organizations from this tradition have been ineffective, or gone horribly wrong; almost everyone has heard of the train-wreck that ACORN has become. However, what most people are unaware of is that ACORN is one of many organizations that came out of the IAF–and that several of those organizations have accomplished inarguably positive results for society.

IAF organizing uses a principle called the iron rule; never do for others what they can do for themselves. Of course, the obvious corollary is that what others genuinely can’t do for themselves, it’s reasonable to help them out with. Based on these principles, the East Brooklyn Congregations started something called the Nehemiah project. Starting in 1982, Nehemiah built nearly three thousand new townhomes for working class families in what were then some of the most blighted portions of Brooklyn, real estate now worth hundreds of millions. But were these homes simply given away? Of course not; that would violate the iron rule. The Nehemiah program did use some government funds, but they minimized this, even to the rather bizarre, politically motivated protests of city officials.

The project met with skepticism from experts, as it went squarely against the usual welfare society ethos. The local leaders of East Brooklyn Congregations chose to sell the homes only to those who came up with a five thousand dollar down payment, although they were advised to make the down payment only thirty-five hundred dollars, which was what it was thought their buyers could afford. The EBC didn’t want to make the mistake of giving something too easily to people when they could do more for themselves, and by doing more, have a greater sense of ownership and accomplishment.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Activism, Community Building, Democracy, East Brooklyn Congregations, Government, Industrial Areas Foundation, Politics, Saul Alinsky

Real Costs of Parenting

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“Family values” is a familiar catchphrase for politicians to use, but one seldom sees anyone trying to quantitatively understand the value of families. In our current youth-worshiping society, families are a bit dowdy. They’re looked on more as a lifestyle choice than a contribution to the common good. Young adults are staying single for a very long time, without any sense that they’re being done a favor by the few individuals of their generation who choose to make the sacrifices childrearing requires.

We seldom hear discussion of what happens on a widespread social and political level if people don’t have kids. Virtually all of us require the society we live in; we could not survive without it, we would literally die. When we are old, we will need it even more; we will need someone young to maintain the roads and the electric lines, someone we can pay to keep up our garden. Personal accountability is essential when it comes to retirement planning, but even the most stringent individualist assumes that there will still be a society for them to barter with. They assume there will be a society they can be independent within, if such a thing is possible.

And this approach is reasonable, mostly, because even with declining birth rates across all first world societies, there’s not a serious risk of humanity voluntarily extinguishing itself by failing to populate. However, it’s worth calling attention to the fact that parenting is a public service, as well as a personal choice. As a society, we give great lip-service to parenting–especially mothering–while at the same time, motherhood is the single most accurate predictor of poverty in old age. Economically, motherhood trumps gender, education level, and lifetime working hours when it comes to predicting poverty; it may be a service we appreciate, but it also seems to be a sacrifice we expect.

And that’s why it may be important to consider another statistic about population, economic sacrifice, and women’s place in society. All over the globe, on average the more education a woman has, the less children she will have.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Birth rate, Education, Family, Home, Parenting, Politics, Population, Single Mothers

Regime Politics and US Interference

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According to a top UN official quoted in the Washington post, the Taliban is looking to get back into Afghanistan’s political scene. This is not surprising. Having dominated Afghani politics and governed the country for half a decade, they can at least lay claim to experience, and it’s clear that they are interested in power. What is surprising is that the west, or at least the UN, seems to view this as a good thing.

Some of their reasoning makes a lot of sense. After all, we’d all prefer to see legitimate political compromise and negotiation rather than shootings, bombings, and violence in general. Afghanistan’s fragile young democracy is still fully propped up by the threat of U.S. military violence, and the campaigns currently underway have not halted the high, high level of ongoing violence in Afghani society. Because of this, there’s immediate incentive to hope that all the interested parties will start participating in the nonviolent democratic political process. Still, it is a little disconcerting when officials get excited about political participation from a regime that was so terrible we thought it worthwhile to use violence to remove it from political power.

Of course, all of this may be irrelevant, because according to the Afghanistan Analysts Network, claims that the Taliban is interested in engaging in the current U.S.-legitimized Afghani government structure (a structure where nearly a fifth of the candidates up for the current election are female), are poorly supported. Part of the problem is that the government of Afghanistan doesn’t have a lot of clout throughout most of the country. It is primarily effective in the capital, giving organizations which aspire to national power little incentive to play by the rules. If anything, Afghanistan’s best hope for peace may come from fatigue. After violent rule, violent overthrow, and violent nation-building, even the Taliban may decide it’s time to strive for something new.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Afghanistan, Afghanistan Analysts Network, Asia, Politics, Taliban, United States, United States armed forces, Washington Post

Youth and Politics

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Many people often ask what can be done to get the nation’s youth more interested in the political process. Many older Americans are concerned that political interest is diminishing with each younger generation. Further, older Americans often see younger Americans only participating in politics and elections when it is viewed as trendy to do so, such as when a certain presidential candidate is able to catch the attention of the nation’s youth. This is often viewed as dangerous because it’s argued that the youth don’t truly know what they are voting for, and that they are only voting for a particular candidate because the candidate seems hip and trendy.

How then, can the nation’s youth be swayed to research Party and candidate platforms in order to make truly informed voting decisions? One way the political parties can reach out to the nation’s youth is by communicating with them via new age methods. Examples of these new age methods include social media networks, blogging, and other online venues. The youth are used to being bombarded with multiple messages at once and therefore, political information must be fashioned in a way to grab their attention in the shortest time amount possible. If hip and trendy is what grabs their attention, then platform messages should be created in a way to meet this demand.

Times are changing and so must American politics. The youth are the nation’s future and if the political scene doesn’t change to meet the demands of the youth, then the nation will only continue to see a drop in political participation. A quick examination of United States history shows this isn’t the first time America has undergone a shift in communication venues or in youth interests. Political interest has stood the test of time before and so shall it survive the current era.

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Politics, President of the United States, Youth