No Time Left to Waste: Engagement in a Time of Apathy [Voices of Democracy series]

Our government is participatory. For the 16-year-old who can listen to and understand political discussion but cannot vote, that idea might ring false. But no matter what situation or circumstance you find yourself in, you can always do something to take part in America’s great political festival.

For me, that something meant joining the YMCA Youth & Government program and addressing my home-state's most pressing policy issues through model legislation. It meant holding voter registration drives at school and over social media to ensure that my political participation could engage others. It meant walking 16 miles a day campaigning for local candidates in my New Hampshire college town this past election. From surveying hundreds of voters on their front steps and leaving countless flyers on people’s doors, campaigning allowed me to see our democracy from the ground up. And when I volunteered at the polls at 6am on a snowy morning—observing and ensuring the integrity of the ballot-counting process—I got to witness our system in action.

Those opportunities did not come to me easily, and they did not come magically either. I had to search for them, seek them out through hours of research and countless e-mails. That’s the thing about our democracy. It does not ask you if you want to get involved. You have to involve yourself. Our system of government finds its strength from the grassroots, and only those with the courage and commitment to interact in the system will actually develop efficacy: the specialized knowledge to change it for the better. 

For those high school students who are eager to make a difference, I have one thing to say: don’t stay idle. When you read or hear about issues on the news, formulate solutions to combat them and advocate for your visions. E-mail your local, state, and federal representatives. As intimidating as they can seem, your elected officials have a sacred responsibility to listen to you. Work the polls in a local election. Join a civic organization. Campaign for candidates you believe in. Maybe even start a nonprofit. When you fear what our system could look like tomorrow, register voters today. There are plenty of organizations like The Civics Center or the Y that believe in the power of youth to create change. When you find the courage to take action, know you will not be alone. 

Participation seems daunting, but it just seems that way. More and more adults have come to recognize the central role that students have played and will continue to play in our political system. If you want to make change, you can. You have a government that most definitely needs revitalization, an army of supporters ready, and an entire generation of peers to inspire. Go ahead, make change. There is no time left to waste.

Lintaro Donovan is a 2020 Youth Fellow with The Civics Center and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Dartmouth College. The Civics Center’s “Voices of Democracy” blog series celebrates and highlights the voices that matter to us most: those of young people working to improve civic engagement and participation in our democracy.