This week on The Upgrade, we’re discussing how average people can get involved with politics even when it’s not an election year. To put it mildly, the unexpected results of the recent election have caused an upswell in political activism and we’re taking a look at how to get involved.
How to Listen to This Week’s Episode
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This Week’s Discussion: Political Activism
One of the most direct ways to get involved is to contact your direct representatives. As writer Beth Skwarecki explains on the show, there are three people in Congress who directly represent you: the two senators from your state and one member of the House of Representatives who represents your district. These are the people you should try and talk to when you want to voice your concerns or want them to vote a certain way on a specific bill.
Actually getting their ear is easier said than done though; phone calls are the most effective method for influencing your representatives, but you can also send emails, faxes, and letters. Even though it’s unlikely you’ll ever talk directly with members of Congress, their staff will tabulate all the issues that their constituents are discussing. On that note, it’s important that you are actually a constituent. You may want to vent about the actions of a specific politician, but you should really focus on the people whose job is literally to represent you.
Later on the show we talk with Joanna Rothkopf and Prachi Gupta, hosts of Big Time Dicks, a new political podcast on our sister site Jezebel. Joanna and Prachi share their tips on how we can further get involved with the political process; for some people that means marching, donating to organizations that support the causes you care about, or even running for office yourself.
What can really help, though, is focusing on just a handful of issues that concern you. Approaching the current state of politics with the intent of fixing everything that’s wrong is far too daunting and won’t necessarily accomplish anything. Moreover, it’s just plain exhausting. You can’t attend every march, protest, and demonstration, and you shouldn’t task yourself with taking on the world. Focus most on a handful of issues that specifically matter to you.
Our Upgrades of the Week
Every week to round out the The Upgrade with the little upgrades of our own. Here’s a quick recap:
Andy: Sweatpants. Okay, bear with me. I recently bought a set of socks, underwear, and t-shirts that also came with a pair of sweatpants (it was all bundled together for dummies like me who need a bunch of the essentials). These pants have become part of my routine at the end of the day and have made my life just a little bit better. Life hack: Wear comfortable pants.
Beth: Beth took a note from the book Unfuck Your Habitat and decided to make her bed every day when she gets up in the morning. It’s a small, straightforward thing, but it’s starts her day right and makes her bedroom feel more organized.
How Do I Submit a Question?
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Call (347) 687-8109 and record a question. Calls are awesome! We like them, and may play yours on the show!
Email your question to [email protected].
Please keep your questions as brief as possible. This means about 3-5 sentences for emails and 30-60 seconds for calls and videos. Your questions can be specific, but broader questions are generally better because they’ll apply to more people. Either way, we look forward to hearing from you!