POST BY IFA SANGO
Contributor
I want to first applaud the nationwide street demonstrations, opposing the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. It demonstrated that not all Americans have politically lost their minds.
However, knowing how the system works, more will be needed. We will need a new and just, economic thrust as well and a new political thrust.
Right now, I’m just gonna share my views on the political. The two things the demonstrators will need is a working knowledge of how the system works. Because, with a good solid awareness of how “the system” works, one can leverage it to your advantage.
If the the demonstrators had a good, well organized, and mobilized “lobbying machine” they wouldn’t need to demonstrate. They would be in a position to send just TWO representatives (who represent Millions of organized progressives) to lay out their agenda, and get it implemented.
Policy Makers understand, and are moved by two realities: MONEY! and LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE in their districts that can effect their political status and remove them from office.
So! … lets Begin.
Politics 101
What is Politics?
Forget what the dictionary says about politics! Ignore the fact that many politicians have turned the political process into a game of manipulating perception of the masses (while providing high quality political services to the big business community).
This quick course will attempt to teach you the basics about politics, and how YOU! as an average citizen can get the most out of it. You owe it to yourself, your family, and your community to participate in the political process.
So, first lets take a quick refresher course to define what politics is and why it’s important. Politics are:
The RULES that affect the everyday occurrences of our lives.
Every civilized society MUST have rules in order to maintain peace, and order. You can’t have everyone going around doing their own thing; otherwise society would be in a state of anarchy and chaos. Thus, in a democratic society, we all come together through our public officials who we elect, and we make rules that govern the day-to-day existence of our lives.
Rules are devised to deal with such issues as:
- Food Distribution and Safety.
- How much Police Protection a community will get.
- Who gets Education Resources and who doesn’t.
- How much money comes out of your paycheck. (If you’re lucky enough to have a job)
As you can see, these rules are very important. And, you should never allow these sorts of rules to be made without your input.
This is why you MUST register to vote; You MUST participate by VOTING; and you MUST stay in close contact with your public officials and let your voice be heard about these rules.
Now that we the know the importance of these rules and why they are necessary, let’s refer to them by their special name. These rules are called Legislation or Laws. Yes! You already know this because you were taught this in grammar school (we hope). However, If you weren’t taught this in school, then you have an immediate issue that must be dealt with in your community concerning the quality of education.
But first, let’s review some basics on how our government is structured; and how legislation/laws are made in this country.
Basic Government Structure.
The best way to get efficient use out of your government is to know how it operates. ALL government in this country; whether it be Federal, State, or Local government is divided into three (3) important Branches:
- Executive Branch. (Presidents; Governors; Mayors,)
- Legislative Branch. (Congressman; State Assemblymen; City Councilmen.)
- Judicial Branch. (Federal Supreme Court; State Circuit Courts; etc.)
The individuals that run the Executive Branches of government are called Presidents; Governors; Mayors; County Executives; etc. They are hired by the people (by voting) to serve as managers of all government services.
The Military, The Police, Garbage Pick-up, Schools, Roads, Water Supply, Social Services are all managed in the Executive Branches of government. These people are very important. Which is why you must be sure you are picking the right person for the job when you vote for such a person. The Executive Branches prepare budgets on how much money they need to manage essential services and they submit their budgets to the Legislative Branches for approval.
Now, This is where it gets interesting. Guess who makes all the “rules” or “laws” concerning public safety, taxes, and how much money the Executive Branch gets to run public services? You’re right! The Legislative Branches of government. And, guess who puts these people in office? You’re right again! YOU DO!
Individuals elected to the Legislative Branches of government are called Congressman, Senators, Councilman, etc. Again, we can’t emphasize enough how important it is for you to participate in the process of electing public officials. Especially legislators! As it stands right now, only rich people participate in this process of making rules (by lobbying public officials).
However, if you participate in the process, then you too can have an impact on making the rules (writing legislation) we will tell you how to do this later.
There are times when you need individuals to make decisions on how laws or rules should be interpreted. This is the job of our Judicial Branch or Court System. There are Federal Supreme Courts; State Circuit Courts; Court of Appeals; even Small Claims Courts. The purpose of the Court System is to assure that everyone follows the rules properly.
You won’t hear us say this very often; But, it’s nice to have lawyers around to help us make sense of all these laws or rules that are on the books. In summary, the American System of Democracy has many faults. But, it’s still one of the best in the world. However, it will only get better if YOU! get involved.
Now let’s take a look at how laws are made.
The Rules!
How Laws Are Made.
Now that your memory has been refreshed on the definition of “Politics” and basic Government structure, it’s now time to take a look at how laws are made.
What if … the masses of working poor Americans got sick and tired of working for the present minimum wage of $5.15 an hour — even though it’s a known fact that a person would need at least $12.00 an hour to survive in this country? The question becomes, what can the masses do to get companies to pay a decent wage?
Well, one thing they could do is petition the public official who they hired/elected in the Legislative Branches of Congress to make new rules that will require companies to pay its employees a living wage of $12.00 an hour.
The masses put enough pressure on these Congressmen, who set up a Committee to study the demand. The pressure becomes so intense that legislative members of the committee draft a Bill for a minimum wage of $12.00 an hour to be paid to all working Americans.
As you can see, Legislative Committees such as “Ways and Means Committee” or “Appropriations Committee” are very important. Because, if a Bill doesn’t make it pass the committee, it will never become a law. Once our Bill makes it out of committee, it is sent to be voted on by all members, in both Houses of Congress (The House of Representatives and the Senate). The pressure is still on, therefore the Bill is passed in both the House and the Senate. Now it goes to the President of the United States for his signature. If he signs it, the new minimum wage Bill will become the law of the land.
However, there is a problem. The President wakes up on the wrong side of the bed one morning and decides to make himself the “King” Of America”, instead of the President. In setting up his monarchy, his first decree is that the masses will not have a minimum wage of $12 an hour. So, he vetoes the Bill. Fortunately, our system has “Checks & Balances” to insure that no one Branch of government has all of the power. The Congress (under pressure from the masses) overrides his veto and the Bill becomes Law anyway.
Also, as punishment for setting up a monarchy, the Congress “Impeaches” the President and removes him from office. It should be noted that congress has in the past exercised that option. Hopefully, you now have a general idea of how our government works. However, the best way to get to know how YOUR government works is through practice.
CONGRATULATIONS! … You have just passed our Course in Politics 101
However, in order to graduate you must “Empower Yourself”. Get to know your public officials. Find out who your Congressmen; State Assemblymen; City Councilpersons are. Write to them! Not only when you have a complaint; but, also if pleased with the job they are doing.
Also, find out if they are members of any legislative committees. If you have the time, attend legislative committee hearings. If you can’t attend, find an organization whose members attend hearings on a regular basis and get their opinion on what transpired at the hearings.
But, most of all, you may want to set-up political action or lobbying groups in your neighborhood. Because, there is strength in numbers.
There are two things that will get the attention of a politician. MONEY! or LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE. So, if you don’t have any money, the next best thing is to join a politically active neighborhood group or start your own, and lobby your public officials for what you want.
ARE YOU READY TO TAKE A QUICK EXAM? Email [email protected] for your assignment.