With all
that has been going on during the past few years in the political area, some
students serving in student government and those with Political Science or
History as a major may think about going into Politics.
People who
choose that direction may be motivated by a number of things. Among them may be
the desire to:
- Serve the
people in their community, city, state or Country
- Do good
and make things better for the people they represent
- Assume a
position of power
- Boost
their ego
- Take advantage
of opportunities for personal gain
To be
successful, students must possess the personal qualities that seem to permeate
politics today. Of course, some of these qualities may be good, while others
tend to be bad for the people they represent.
Admirable
Qualities:
- Looks out
for the best interests of the people they represent
- Puts Our
Country ahead of Their Political Party
- Honest
-
Trustworthy
- Hard
Working
- Good
communication skills
-
Intelligent
-
Self-confident
- Able to
build agreement and support
- Always
concerned with the best interests of Our Country
Less
Admirable Qualities:
- Is Willing
to Tell Lies about everything and anything
- Obfuscates
information and facts to make them difficult to understand
- Talks out
of Both Sides of His/Her Mouth, whichever is expedient
- Puts their
Political Party ahead of the People they represent
- Takes
Money in return for their support and votes
- Allows
Lobbyists, Special Interests and PAC's to influence their votes
- Sponsors
Bills that support Large Organizations but Hurt Average People
- Puts
Personal Gain ahead of Constituents and Our Country
- Ignores
the National Debt
- Ignores
the need for a Balanced Budget
- Favors the
Rich over the Middle-Class Workers
- Tacks on
PORK to desirable and important Bills
- Willing to
Inflate Costs, as long as it Benefits Them
- Is willing
to obstruct investigations to protect cronies
- Makes
unsubstantiated accusations against opponents
- Plays fast
and loose with facts
- Denies
responsibility for anything that goes wrong
- Quick to
hurl insults at anyone who disagrees
- Unwilling
to work with members of the other Party on any issue
- Willing to
blindly follow Party dictates
Of course,
some people go into politics with the best intentions but end up being seduced
by money, power and personal gain. Others are pressured and intimidated into
submission by other politicians in their own party. Sometimes, it is not a
pretty picture.
Those with
political power seem to be motivated by one thing - staying in power. It seems
that they are willing to do anything in order to accomplish that goal. Either
way, aspiring politicians should ask themselves:
- Are my
political intentions good and honorable?
- Will I
always put my Constituents, State and Country first?
- Will I
work to eliminate unethical behavior, corruption and improper personal gain
from politics?
Some
students see a broken system and want to change the way things work in politics
today. Other students may only see the personal benefits that can result from
holding political office. Which person is hiding in you?
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