solved Are all Americans equally able to become engaged in the

Are all Americans equally able to become engaged in the government? What factors make it more possible for some people to become engaged than others? What could be done to change this? Respond to at least 2 other students’ posts.
The relevant learning objectives for this section are:
1.3 Engagement in a Democracy

Describe the main ways Americans can influence and become engaged in government
• Discuss factors that may affect people’s willingness to become engaged in government
Student 1

All Americans are equally able to become engaged in the government. Social or economic status truly does not carry any weight when it comes to being engaged in governmental processes. Thanks to rights set out within the constitution, we all have the right to assemble and voice our political beliefs. By just participating in civic engagement increases the power of everyday citizens to influence government actions. (Krutz, 2020, page 22) Staying informed on issues will create well informed citizens, who could be more engaged than others. The problem I see with this is the source of the information. With news outlets being aligned politically, it is hard to figure out what is not a special interest, and the polarization of beliefs.
I believe if we think for ourselves, outside of any political affiliation, and stay informed through actual research, we can become better informed citizens willing to become engaged in government. Today, people seem to influence others through social media, and sometimes it is a brutal war of words when it comes to political affiliation. I believe that general noise creates an environment where someone would be reluctant to engaging in government. If one can navigate through the noise of left versus right, there can be hope for the future of engagement. Our greatest benefit is the right to vote, and everyone who is able should do it for the good of themselves, their neighbor, and country.
Student 2
I feel like this section of the text is especially timely after our last election. With the pandemic in full effect and social networks busier than ever, so many of my friends and family spoke up about their views and ideals in an attempt to push others to their side. I also believe the ability to vote by mail in 2020 (to avoid crowds) was a great idea: Oregon (my state) has been voting by mail since the 80s and I have not known any other way of voting.
I don’t think Americans are equally able to become more engaged in government. The text mentions wealth and education as a couple of deciding factors on who will be engaged and I agree they play a big part (Krutz, 2020, pg 31). It’s hard to want to be engaged when your situation doesn’t seem to change despite the changes in political powers. It’s also hard to become more involved if you’re working a lot of hours in order to support a family.
Some ideas in order to bring about higher rates of engagement: vote by mail, a better education about politics in high school, paid time off from workplaces to promote civic engagements (volunteering, voting, etc). Doing better for our community helps all of us and it doesn’t always take a lot of time or effort. Something my employer did during the pandemic when business was very slow was allow employees to help out at a homeless crisis center: employees were transported and paid for their time and were able to gain a much better understanding of their community.