More Than A Seat: Building Sustainable Ecosystems for Youth in Government

The 2016 Presidential Election was my first real introduction to American politics. While I studied American political parties in school, most notably Democrats’ value of social responsibility and Republicans’ belief in individual rights and freedom, I realized I was hardly taught about campaigns. 2016 taught me the power of voter engagement and that political parties weren’t so rigid as textbooks made them out to be. As I volunteered for Presidential nomination Democrat Hillary Clinton in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I learned that voters have beliefs on both sides of the aisle. At the end of the day, voters worry less about political labels and just want to be heard and feel like someone in government will listen. Despite the outcome of the Presidential election, I learned the importance of the phrase “every voice counts!” On the campaign trail, Secretary Clinton spoke to the voices who were shut out of positions of power in politics for too long. To me, she practiced public engagement in the truest sense of the word: listen to the voters. They are true stakeholders. This should be common knowledge, right? Every single person who can vote is a political stakeholder. If you pay taxes, you should be able to vote. If you vote, you are the boss of your elected official. Unfortunately, this idea is not practiced in current politics. In fact, it scares politicians. This is one of the reasons current government structures are not sustainable.