Without a doubt, the most effective way to make a difference politically is by acting and voting locally. That said, America in 2018 is a dystopia-fucked shitshow, and it's borderline impossible not to get sucked into Trump's horrifying soap opera. Here's how you can help nationally.
Stay informed, but stay sane. Staying in- formed is vitalâbut itâs also just a few clicks away from âfalling into a downward spiral of catastrophe porn,â and itâs easy to confuse âconstantly refreshing the newsâ with âdoing something that matters.â So check the news regularly, but in doses that wonât ruin your life: Read the Mercuryâs daily âGood Morning, Newsâ posts and sign up for the New York Timesâ âMorning Briefingâ email to get quick surveys of national and local stories. Chances are you donât need to stay up to the minute all dayâbut get in the habit of recapping the dayâs most important issues. Two solid nightly email briefings are the Washington Postâs âEvening Editionâ and Vox Sentences.
Call, email, and annoy your elected officials. Your representatives canât represent you if they donât know what you think. Let them know, and let them know often.
Vote. In every election. All elections matter, and even rinky-dink podunk races can end up influencing national politics. We encourage you to be that annoying person who makes sure friends, family, and random weirdos on the street voteâall their votes matter, too.
Volunteer. Assisting local causes and campaigns is important, but if there are national races and movements you care about, thereâs a good chance that, even from afar, you can do something to help them out. Which leads us to....
Donate. Yes, Americaâs bullshit campaign finance system is rigged in favor of the richest assholes on the planet. But until we enact national campaign finance reform, itâs the only system weâve got. Kicking a few bucks to candidates you believe inâwhether theyâre running for Portland City Council or president of the United Statesâmakes a difference. The same goes for organizations, both national and regional (though regional ones probably need your money more). Before you start throwing cash at causes, do your homeworkâcheck charitynavigator.org to see what nonprofits will make the best use of your money.
Write postcards. One of the easiest and cheapest ways to get involved in national politics, postcardstovoters.org sends its volunteers the addresses of voters who can participate in key elections across the country. By writing quick postcards to those votersâencouraging them to vote, and sharing info about the race and its candidatesâyou can boost voter turnout and advocate for progressive candidates in tight races.
Support reliable, independent news media. Everyone likes to complain about âthe mediaââbut hardly anyone actually works to make it better. With every click, subscription, or YouTube view, you help keep that news outletâs lights onâso pay attention to where you get your news, and financially support the places that do it right, whether itâs with the stodgy deep-dives of PBS NewsHour, the fiery dedication of the Intercept, or the perspective-altering investigations of ProPublica.
Listen, just like... every once in a while? Pay attention to people you might not agree withâand have non-confrontational conversations about where theyâre coming from. Familiarizing yourself with different political beliefs and lived experiencesâand accepting that polarizing issues are often more nuanced than they first appearâcan be uncomfortable, but itâs vital to making sustainable progress. Plus, maybe youâre wrong about something! Thatâs okay!
Run for office. Think youâre so smart? Think you could do it better? Great! Prove it.