Democracy in Action
by Stella Koch

The system of democracy is effective when voters are well informed and fully engaged in the democratic process.  We are fortunate enough to live in a representational democracy where, theoretically, every citizen in every state, regardless of race, creed or gender can vote to choose who represents him or her in government. Our responsibility does not end at the voting booth. As
responsible citizens, we must know how to contact our elected officials in order to share our perspectives with them. An easy way to find the names of our elected officials is to go to the League of Women Voters website. On that website, you will be able to obtain contact information for all of your federal and state elected legislators by typing in your zip code at the following URL:
http://takeaction.lwv.org/lwv/dbq/officials/. Contact your elected officials and sign up to be on their email lists.  They will be more than happy to keep you informed of their views.

It’s equally important that you educate yourself regarding the issues that matter to you so that you can effectively express your opinions to those who represent you. To that end, sign up to receive alerts from national and state organizations which reflect your views on issues that you care about. You will now have the knowledge with which to contact your elected officials with your positions before they vote on issues that matter to you.  Make them aware of how you want them to vote.  Track how they vote.  Thank them when the vote represents you and let them know you are disappointed when it does not.  In this way, you will be using the system to your best advantage.   

We have a new set of elected officials at the national level.  This is an excellent time to begin tracking their actions and communicating your views on upcoming legislation. On the local level, your governor and state legislators are facing some critical decisions in the next few years.  If you want them to represent your views, you need to communicate those views to them.  Then, stay informed concerning their voting records.  By the time the next election cycles come along, you will be ready to make an educated choice as to whether to support those who currently represent you or to work for other candidates who will represent your views more fully. The system of democracy works best when we all pay attention and stay engaged in the process.