The latest political scandal involves Illinois Republican Rep. Aaron Schock using federal and campaign money for lavish personal expenses. He resigned Tuesday, and even those outside his district should care.
Amidst the daily reports of Democratic former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lying about her private email use and Oregon Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber resigning over his fiancé’s suspect policy work, it is easy to roll your eyes and attribute it to the sliminess of politics. But this is not enough.
Politicians’ actions affect everyone under their governance, not just those interested in politics. Don’t leave it to the politics majors to be outraged.
Citizens’ indifference and apathy toward politicians allows their underhanded behavior to continue undetected. Just as a child is less likely to nab a cookie from the cookie jar when his mom is in the kitchen, politicians adjust their actions when they know constituents are paying attention.
Whether we vote or not, all politicians make decisions that impact our lives. Simply shrugging our shoulders and claiming rational ignorance won’t change that.
Our core curriculum teaches that being human means participating in the polis. Politics is a huge part of almost all of the core classes. Western Heritage students, moreover, read Aristotle, who argues that man is a naturally political being.
To curb breaches of power and deception, we must assume our rightful roles as political creatures. This doesn’t mean we have to listen to all of President Obama’s speeches and read every page of Congress’ newest legislation. It starts much closer to home.
Irate citizens attend most Hillsdale City Council meetings, fuming about the condition of the city’s roads. Council knows community members will notice if the new city manager’s salary is unreasonably large or a project is bid out too high — because every dollar unnecessarily spent isn’t going toward road improvements. These citizens care what happens at the local level. If politicians are ever to stop using their political authority unjustly, those of us being governed have to show we care, too.
