Since when did voting once every four years become enough? How is it that people have come to accept voting as doing their part for democracy? Does anyone really know what a democracy is anymore? I doubt it because if they did, they wouldn’t say, “I voted, I did my part for democracy.”

The definition of democracy is a highly contested issue in political theory but I think we can all agree that one significant characteristic of democracy involves rule of the people, by the people. This means you not only take part in the electing of your fellow country-people to office, but you contribute to the “rule” if you will. In the polity, (Aristotle’s golden version of the democracy…shout out to poly theory nerds…if you are lost replace “polity” with “democracy” and keep reading), majorities and minorities, advocates and other bodies contribute to the political community in many ways to create rule.

It makes me angry to see so many people content with themselves for simply voting because they are not recognizing that voting is only a small part, a mere glimmer of what could be considered “doing their part for democracy.”

It is by this logic that we can say, with kudos to Aristotle, we have an oligarchy. Sure, we elect the few that rule over us, but still, they are few and they rule over us because we think that voting is enough.

Maybe I just love Aristotle and debating, maybe I am trying to be an iconoclast, maybe I am tired of people getting all excited about politics because its hip, because we all want to be cool, because we all want to feel like we can drive our cars and drink our coffee and save some Africans…African kids of course.

Lets do more. Be the change you wish to see in the world, live the life you imagined. Don’t just vote. Vote then hold your elected officials responsible for their actions instead of going back to being politically apathetic for another four years.