There’s no denying that politics are everywhere; in classrooms, on the news, spread across social media and in everyday conversation, politics are omnipresent. Discussions of politics have become increasingly polarized over the years, as political parties have evolved past the debate of tax rates and government spending that were foregrounded in decades past. Human rights issues — ranging from abortion rights, immigration rights, LGBTQ+ rights and more — have become associated with political parties, creating not only a strong political divide in our country but also an urgency to take a stand on these critical issues by associating ourselves with one of these two parties. This then begs the question: What if you don’t agree with either party?
There are two main ways to “disagree” with the parties and avoid labeling yourself as belonging to one or the other. One is to have clear, supported beliefs that you don’t believe fall into the basket of either the Democratic or the Republican Parties. The other option poses a more difficult route: to “stay out of politics.” A large group of people have opted to do this as politics has become increasingly sensitive and polarized topic in our country. Although this seems like the safe choice, it has significant implications.
By not engaging in political discussions, you inhibit your ability to learn from them. In many cases, being exposed to different political views is extremely valuable in the process of developing your own knowledge base. A 2019 New York Times article details an experiment in which 526 voters from diverse backgrounds were flown to a resort simply to debate each other. Although many stayed steadfast in their political beliefs throughout the weekend, they discovered a deeper understanding of the way their political “opponents” viewed these issues. The group’s faith in democracy doubled from 30% to 60%, and people on both sides found ways to compromise on proposed policies. Through hearing personal stories, empathy became a new factor in participants’ views, giving people fresh perspectives that they hadn’t been aware of before.
