America isn’t #1, and we’re all to blame

We're number 19!

No, I'm not talking about any YSU athletic team. I'm referring to the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2011 democracy index for the United States.

The report, released by analysts independent from the weekly publication, "provides a snapshot of the state of democracy worldwide for 165 independent states and two territories."

Various factors came into play in their final rankings, with all of them codependent on others to make for a successful, true democracy.

The United States, once a premier democratic model for emerging states, dropped two more spots from last year.

YSU reflects this democratic decline.

It's hard to foster political involvement when even the college-educated need to personally seek political knowledge. For example, the YSU Academic Senate no longer requiring political science and government classes in general requirements fosters the political ignorance plaguing our society.

Arrogant, self-absorbed faculty members feel it's their duty to propagate personal political knowledge, regardless of their primary field of study.

"Many social science faculty simply assume that they could teach a politics course just as well as a political scientist from our department. In my judgment, such persons are either bored, vain or of a particular ideological persuasion," said Keith Lepak, associate professor of political science at YSU.

In a struggle to retain or gain further resources, select faculty members put the students second to self-serving fundraising.

And the students are just as apathetic.

Our partisan student groups are seemingly nonexistent anymore. Can you remember the last time either the College Democrats or the College Republicans organized and held an event on campus to encourage participation?

America's youth, aged 18 to 29, are notorious for poor turnouts at the polls. However, in 2008, 51 percent of them showed up. This is a decent increase from the 40 percent turnouts in 1996 and 2000.

As politically idealistic as college students are, they'll only receive recognition in Congress when their presence in the polls becomes substantial.

In 2008, 67 percent of Americans 30 and older voted. Now who do you think will be spared when it's time to make cuts? And you thought college was expensive now.

College students benefit from a unique advantage when trying to forward a political movement. The ease of access to thousands of open-minded youth allows for quick and convenient momentum gains for a particular cause. Look how many students rallied around Senate Bill 5 and the faculty union contract negotiations, neither of which had a direct impact on most of them. Yet still, most college students allow apathy to deter them from meaningful engagement.

Voting is one thing; making an informed vote is another. YSU is not adequately equipping its students with basic political knowledge that will fend off mass media's partisan venom.

The solution rests in everyone's hands.

YSU needs to re-evaluate its general education requirements. The government subsidizes students' tuition. Yet, in return, students aren't required to understand the mechanics that keep it artificially low.

"The action must come primarily from students, and those who want to be leaders, and those who have begun to understand the seriousness of the problems that we collectively face," Lepak said.

Students need to seek the answers for themselves. Don't simply rely on what a candidate tells you, or what commentators on networks regurgitate. When politicians tell you they'll cut taxes and increase spending to get our country out of this mess, you need to question the plausibility and evaluate it for yourself.

"Something like this is urgently needed given the conditions of the country and the political illiteracy of college students, again, many of whom know more about video games, their Facebook page or fantasy football," Lepak said.

Without question, more people will tune into the Super Bowl than the presidential debates. More college students will be able to name the cast of "Jersey Shore" or the titles of the entire "Call of Duty" franchise than the field of GOP candidates.

It appears as if a political awakening by our youth will be retroactive, as most American problems are "solved," but, at what cost? Will it be too late?

Ohio's primary is March 6, also known as Super Tuesday. We've been given a gift: We're in the extreme minority of countries that can legitimately have their voices be heard in terms of electing leadership.

Don't abuse it. Don't simply vote for a candidate on party lines or because that's who your parents support. Educate yourself. What matters to you? Discuss these ideas with your friends and classmates.

Challenge your set of beliefs with objecting opinions in hopes of strengthening your own. But, most of all, vote.