Is Politics Important?

By Ellis Asher

(Image Edited, Image by Media from Wix)

One of the most frequent phrases uttered when the conversation switches to politics

is generally something like “politics is boring, lets talk about something else” or

“politics just causes unnecessary arguments”.

I hold the view that politics is an integral part of the systems that run our world, from

our offices to our friends, to the whole nation. In my eyes, politics is a unifying tool,

and hopefully by the time you have finished this article, in yours too.

We will first start by defining the term, as we cannot see the sum of the issue without

engaging with all of it’s individual parts.

There are 2 common definitions, the first which we will call governmental politics

goes, “the activities associated with the governance of a country or area, especially

the debate between parties having power.” Whereas the second form of politics can

be defined as “the principles relating to or inherent in a sphere or activity, especially

when concerned with power and status.”

In short the definitions can be summarised as governance and values.

When I hear statements expressing disinterest or frustration at politics’ mention it I

would argue that the form of politics that causes the tension tends to be

governmental, as it is usully polarised, long winded and regularly discussed at

length. As such it can come across as boring.

It is these things for a reason however, as the government effects all our lives daily

by regulating and enforcing new and old laws alike, so being informed and

opinionated in only natural.

Back to the question, we can see the effects of politics on our nation, and in our area

play out in real time.

This month saw an election, small protests and more happen in the

Northamptonshire area alone.

It is along these 2 lines that I draw the distinction between the 2 definitions, one

within the realm of governance and the other the realm of values. Both affect each

other, our laws affect how our society runs, and what it values, while it’s values

affect how it runs and what laws it has.

In exploring this we can see the importance of peoples say on these issues, as

having your say, an informed and valid opinion, can make all the difference in how

the nation is run.

Every vote matters, as elections can be closer than you think, with one election in

Exeter in 1910 being won by a single vote. It’s happened twice in Quebec in Canada,

Nevada in America, and even happened as recent as 2017 in Virginia, USA.

So your vote actually does matter, even if it is for a smaller party, as each vote away

from a big party is a number away from their margins, and both parties will want to

earn that support back so will try to appease your choice more.

So, what do we know so far?

We know that politics is actually a relevant, and wide ranging subject with real world

consequences and that your oppinion matters more than you would think, but

perhaps the biggest reason why politics is important is its potential for greatness.

If we can use the social nature of politics, or our government, to help the lives of

others then I’d consider those things important. Because at the end of the day, every

political opponent agrees that we want a better life for everyone, and that one of the

simplest ways of doing that is by getting informed and having your say.

We all want the world to be a better place, and if you can leave the world better than

you found it then you will have done a truly good deed.