The Her Campus National Editors write about products we love and think you’ll love too. Her Campus has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase. All products are in stock and all prices are accurate as of publication.
your voice matters
I recently attended a discussion at Suffolk University in which Historians Dr. Timothy W.
Ryback and Tim Philips discussed democracy. They spoke about it in relation to Dr. Ryback’s
latest book 53 Days: How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy. In his work, he took newspaper
clippings, journal entries, daily mail, and news, compiling a timeline of public, press, and
political opinion. His focus was on the 53 days from Hitler becoming chancellor until his official
takeover of Germany. Out of everything that was discussed, one comment that stuck out was
despite the evident unrest in the people and press, Dr. Ryback said, “what we see is Democracy
committing suicide in real time”.
This made me curious about the state of our nation today. Like many of you online, I see
a myriad of political and social unrest in the people. Granted, it is concentrated due to algorithms
, so it is hard to gauge if said uproar is truly so widespread. I wanted to look into this and see what
reality truly is. Are people planning to use their voices? Are people truly upset to begin with?
What do they plan to do? What do they think they can do? So, I looked into it. One study I found
was from Harvard Kennedy School. They did a poll in fall 2026 on feelings about the upcoming
midterms. The results from these polls cited an overall of only 33% of young adults claiming
they will definitely vote. This is an interestingly contradictory statistic given that the same series
of polls revealed only 9% of young adults believing the country is headed in a “good” direction.
This made me wonder: is our current day democracy at risk of committing suicide?
Growing up, I was taught not to discuss politics, religion, or finances in polite
conversation. This may be the case for polite company, but refusal to discuss such topics in
everyday life proves detrimental. In a world so decisively political, with polarization never
before seen in the American political climate, the conversation can be intimidating. Even so, it is
necessary. After viewing the study above, I spoke with some peers around me about why they
may or may not vote. Some said they only voted in large elections with presidential candidates,
not state or local ones. Some said they just did not feel the need to. Some said they did not have
the time or means to get home to vote. Yet, the most popular reason people cited was ignorance:
“I do not know enough to have an opinion.” In all honesty, I too have used this very line.
However, the older I get, especially as a young woman navigating the world, the more I realize
this is a tragic excuse.
In my recently published article, “Six Books Every Woman Should Read,” I suggest
Sexual Politics by Kate Millett. Her thesis discusses politics and the sex-based oppression that
coexists with governing establishments. She describes them not just as larger political parties or
systems, but further breaks them into the power-structured relationships between the sexes.
While she focuses on the power dynamics between the patriarchy and all oppressed groups
beneath it, a main point of emphasis is on how being a woman is an inherently political act. Not
because we choose to be political. Rather, our very existence has been made political from
conception. “Whatever the ‘real’ differences between the sexes may be, we are not likely to
know them until the sexes are treated differently, that is alike”(Millett, 1970, pp. 29). Millett’s
thesis was written in the 70s during the height of the Equal Rights Movement. Yet, it discusses
ideas and hardships still prevalent over 50 years later.
If we see issues that were supposedly resolved half a century ago, recurring in our
lifetime, it should cause pause. I urge you as young women to take ownership of your position in
the world. No matter who you vote for, it is an act that needs to be exercised. It is perfectly
reasonable to feel overwhelmed by the mass of “breaking news” and “top stories” online. A
simple way to sort through the noise is learn what is on the ballot, research the issues being voted
on or the people running for office and come to your own conclusions. Most states should have
a sample ballot available either online or in governing offices where you can see exactly what is
being voted on, who the candidates are, what offices they are running for, and which party they
affiliate with. It can be overwhelming, but I urge you not to let ignorance be your reason for
inaction. Women have turned the tide of elections, government proceedings, and legislature
throughout history from the suffrage movement to the equal rights amendment, to the national
organization for women today. Women make up roughly half of the world’s population. If
women made the conscious choice to vote we could help raise Harvard’s poll prediction from
33%. We could help ensure our democracy lives on. We could help force the differential
treatment of men and women for the better. It simply starts with a vote.
References
“53rd Edition – Fall 2026.” 53rd Edition – Fall 2026 | The Institute of Politics at Harvard
University, 2026, iop.harvard.edu/youth-poll/latest-poll.
Millett, Kate. Sexual Politics. Doubleday, 1970