I’m interested in why so many people don’t vote.  Unlike some, I don’t agree that Christians should be checked out of the political process.  I think we have a responsibility to be good stewards of our government.

But I was taught a minimalist view of democracy.  You vote for someone and then let that person do whatever he/she wants.  This is better than monarchy, where you get no choice at all and the person is in their job for life.  If the person in charge makes a mistake or runs into difficulty, you get to complain about them a lot and vote them out at the end of the term.

This view of democracy gives the people no real power.  Sometimes the cynicism is worse – political parties are seen as “machines” that control elections, taking away freedom of choice altogether.  If this is how we see democracy, it’s no wonder that many people don’t bother to vote.

We could use some of our methods of evangelization to bring life back into our political process too.

What would it be like if elected officials reached out to the people - not just during the campaign as a means of getting elected, but throughout their term as part of their job?  This would have to be done consistently.  People would need to believe that their representative is really listening, and that their governor or the president is listening to their representative.

Reaching out means reaching out – not just scheduling a rally or a fundraising dinner.  A certain type of person, who already is involved, attends rallies, and only the rich can attend a fundraiser.  We need our leaders to go out looking for those lost voters.  They have to invite themselves to places where people gather for other reasons;  churches are a good example, though not the only one.  (And maybe the press could stop hassling politicians who visit churches.)  Regular visits to the local Starbucks or YMCA could be worth millions in corporate donations, and bring meaning back to the process.

Have you ever received a visit by a US Representative to a place you frequented?