Set a New Year’s Resolution to Exercise Your Civic Muscles
Ringing in the New Year is traditionally followed by crafting New Year’s resolutions. For some of us, it might be the same resolutions year after year: Eat more vegetables, exercise, meditate, learn something new, save more money, travel, read a book, organize the basement, work harder, stop being so stressed, and the list goes on…
As you create your 2024 resolutions, let the David Mathews Center for Civic Life suggest some exciting alternatives that have both personal benefits and can strengthen our democratic society. Our democracy functions the way it was intended when its citizens are civically engaged. By being engaged in your community, you can develop new perspectives, develop a sense of purpose, and build your own leadership skills. These suggestions are focused on ways you can exercise your civic muscles and be more engaged in your community.
Join a new club, group, or association in 2024
Citizen-led associations create bottom-up ways of governing ourselves. Take some time to research and commit to joining an organization. As you know, no one person is an island. Joining with others who share a similar commitment to a cause is both good for democracy and for individuals.
Increase your political participation in 2024
Political participation is a touchstone of civic health and includes a range of activities. Voting in local, state, and national elections is an important way to participate in politics, but there are more ways to take part in politics that involve varying amounts of time and resources. Examples of these activities include contacting officials, petitioning, helping a political campaign, donating money to a candidate or cause, and joining a political organization. Options that require more time and energy include serving on a local governing or school board, protesting, volunteering in the community, and even running for office.
Focus on the common good in 2024
The term “common good” refers to the well-being of all people within a community and focuses on the importance of promoting the overall welfare and prosperity of everyone. This notion asserts that citizens should be deeply embedded in social relationships. To do this, we suggest having intentional conversations with people who have a different story, background, or belief as you. Focus on actively listening to them and finding shared common ground.
Embrace public deliberation in 2024
Deliberation is a way to act together with your community to better understand and deal with problems more directly. Deliberative forums examine possible solutions to issues of public concern in a thoughtful, people-to-people setting. In the end, instead of asking your leaders, “What are you doing for me?”, the question becomes, “Here are our recommendations. How will you apply these to our community’s problem?”
Support an organization in 2024
Choose an organization whose work focuses on issues that matter to you and support them by volunteering, sharing your expertise, or if possible, making a financial contribution. According to the Alabama Association of Nonprofits, 44% of Alabama’s nonprofits report having no staff, meaning that are entirely volunteer driven.
Celebrate our democracy in 2024
Remember, the founders chose democracy as our nation’s system of government because it comes from the people. For a democracy to function the way it was intended, it depends on citizen participation. Let’s work together this year to strengthen our democracy, have faith in our democracy, and to be active citizens as the year and national campaigns progress.
Learn more about these topics:What is deliberation? (NIFI)First-ever State of the Sector addresses progress of nonprofits in Alabama (The Bama Buzz)Democracy is a verb (Civic Nebraska) Argue like an American (Civic Nebraska)What is political participation? (University of Minnesota)