Grassroots Power

When I talk about or discuss politics in blogging it inevitably is usually about national politics, issues and politicians. This happens by reflex—I don’t intend to focus on the national scene in my political rants and ravings on purpose.

I don’t mean to ignore or give short shrift to politics on a local, grassroots level. On the level of city council, school board, state assembly, advisory neighborhood commission, etc.

Most of the opportunities for participating in politics for ordinary people occurs on the local level. Whether it is being elected to a local office, or trying to affect public policy by being an activist for local issues, there is a lot of fertile ground for political participation I haven’t explored in blogging about politics.

This idea comes to mind to me because I would very much like to have an independent or third party choice in our national leaders. Politicians and activists who run outside of the two-party paradigm to shake things up and to effect real change in the gridlocked, polarized scene in Washington, DC.

Yet if the far-fetched notion of an independent or a third party politician winning a national level office does indeed happen, I shudder to think that this victory will be short-lived and won’t effect much change. Because we would have elected a head which will not have a body attached to it.

If an independent were to win a national office, that leader will not have a nationwide, grassroots network of allies and political comrades to turn to for support, legislative votes, and honest advice. He or she would be sitting ducks surrounded by potential enemies who would like nothing more than to trip them up and watch them fail.

Democrats and Republicans, by and large, don’t have this problem. Because they are organized grassroots to a national level—they will always have a network of Democrat or Republican activists to turn to for help, support, and legislative votes when they need it.

So given this situation, it is crucial for any independent or third-party effort to have a local, grassroots component. Don’t just focus on the high-profile, big-name races and offices. There is a need to have people from out of the political mainstream fill offices and be active on the local level.

Being a part of the local school board, alderman, or an activist applying pressure to city council may not have as much sexiness and political heft as Congress or the presidential race. But such offices and activities are crucial for a fully-functioning independent political movement.

Any serious political effort trying to effect change and to provide an alternative to the two-party system should look local to build its base, and then focus on the national scene once it has already built a solid, grassroots network of local bases.

Cross-posted in An Ordinary Person.