Historical September–October 2004 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
In two months, we choose a president of the United States.
The choice could have major consequences on tax policy, military deployment, energy, and the environment to name just a few.
The electorate is clearly very divided.
A colleague of mine cited some troubling statistics when he recently delivered an address at a new student orientation.
His words again made me wonder about how much we know when we make critical electoral decisions. Only about a third of college students can name significant public officials besides the president.
The lack of information is only equaled by a lack of concern. Only about the same percentage think public affairs are important and pay attention to them.
This survey of young people is a paradigm for the American public at large. Only half of those registered ever make it to the polls for a presidential contest. Lesser races are decided by fewer people. Part of the difficulty could be that many Americans do not like politics and think poorly of politicians. It’s too bad because when people turn off they abdicate to others key decisions about the future.
As a professional student of politics, I cannot understand the apathy or disinterest. I’ve been interested in politics since I was 6 years old.
I remember it vividly.
An older child came down the street with a chest covered with I Like Ike buttons.
I asked my father for one and he said no, that we were for Stevenson.
From then on, he had me watch Meet the Press with him and brought me news magazines from his drug store.
When I was sixteen, I handed out literature at the polls for the first time.
I was always an inveterate reader and loved biographies. Our political system produces weak parties and difficulties in concentrating power.
We also vote more than citizens of other countries.
The British, for example, may vote twice in 5 years, for a member of parliament and for local officials.
We vote for many more offices and usually every year and often more than once a year.
If there’s a message here, it is vote in November and begin early to interest your children in how government works and why it matters. Let’s grow that third.
It would make my job better for sure.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, September–October 2004.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2004_09.pdf, printed page(s) 2; PDF page(s) 2.
