Election Day is the Super Bowl for political nerds, and it is happening in just a few days on Nov. 5.
Casting a ballot fulfills the democratic duty of citizenship, and it is crucial for our democracy to function properly. It is the essence of civic engagement.
Civic engagement means promoting the quality of life in a community through both political and non-political processes. Civically engaged people carry a heightened sense of understanding of, and responsibility to, being an empowered agent of positive change for a more democratic world.
In “Civic Responsibility and Higher Education,” scholar Thomas Ehrlich, editor of the book published in 2000, described civically engaged people this way: “A morally and civically responsible individual recognizes himself or herself as a member of a larger social fabric and therefore considers social problems to be at least partly his or her own.”
We all want our towns and communities to thrive, so it behooves us to participate in the process that fosters growth and progress.
Though we might vote differently, we are connected by the ability to participate in self-governance. That’s the beauty of our political system. Everyone can believe what they like and make their voices heard by casting a ballot. Then they should be able to sit down for a meal together without animosity but with goodwill.
To be effective in this process, individuals need to be responsibly informed. Consuming the news helps people achieve that.
Don’t get sucked in by rumors and lies, though.
Misleading and false information abound, especially in the age of social media and when political interests are involved. Researchers writing for Scientific American suggest that partisan actors, whether politicians themselves or biased purveyors of alleged news, often originate misinformation.
On some level, this makes sense. Everyone wants their candidate or party to win, and this desire for victory can lead people to believe what they want to believe.
Even when faced with evidence to the contrary, personal opinions shape our thoughts because, if something confirms our previously held beliefs, we aren’t prone to overthinking it. We just accept it as fact. That’s confirmation bias.
Of course, people believe others are more gullible and susceptible to misinformation than they are. This is the essence of The Third-Person Effect. It is a psychological phenomenon in which people, as Magda Osman explained in a piece for Nieman Lab, “assume they are immune, but that anyone else, such as supporters of the opposing political party, are not.” In short, it gives people a false sense of confidence as news consumers.
This allows misinformation to spread. It infects the political discourse, weakening democracy and driving a wedge between neighbors.
In this way, misinformation cultivates polarization, tearing at the fabric of our social capital and driving people apart so they view people with different beliefs as the enemy.
That’s undemocratic.
We are all part of a collective society. Social order breaks down when we can’t coexist. We have to see each other as the complex and multifaceted humans we are rather than political avatars.
We are so much more than the candidate we cast a ballot for. We are friends. We are family. We are neighbors. We are a community. Our daily lives wouldn’t work without each other.
In this political season, don’t let who you voted for be another cause of division. Instead, remember we are all part of the same team — Team Society.
Go vote, and let the “I Voted” stickers we proudly wear on our chests be a unifying symbol indicating how we are focused on the country and our democracy rather than political parties.
Todd R. Vogts, Ph.D., is a native of Canton, a resident of McPherson County, and an assistant professor of media at Sterling College. He can be contacted with questions or comments via his website at www.toddvogts.com.
