FINAL (Essay) Exam

We live in a society where information is power. The ability to send and receive information
throughout many different platforms is vital to how we live our daily lives. What makes
information so powerful is not only how easily accessible it is to receive, but how it challenges
our decisions to be stand-up citizens of our country, The United States of America. Without the
flow of information, we would be limited to how we perceive certain aspects of our country and
the powers of our local, state, and national government. It is in the power of our government
officials to represent us citizens to provide us with the information that will help lead us to
better lives. We as citizens must utilize the power of information in order to better ourselves to
improve our quality of life.

There are many ways we can make an impact in our community. It all starts from educating
ourselves about the problems our community faces on a daily basis. But where do we start?
How do we get involved in bettering our community and making it a better place to live? The
power lies not only in our hands, but in our minds. We have the choice to choose how we want
our fellow citizens to be treated and how we want our neighborhoods to be kept to a certain
standard. It all starts with voting and participating in our local politics. The power is in the
numbers. If there is an ongoing issue in our neighborhood, we have the ability to choose our
local government officials who can then change certain policies to help remedy these issues. In
order to make these changes, we must to register to vote. It is our right as citizens to choose
who and how our community can change. The impact of our choice to vote is of such
significance that it can change communities to become better, even more prosperous in a short
amount of time. I’ve learned that participating in local government, we are the voices that can
help change the climate of our communities.

Another way we can impact our community, is to participate in townhall meetings. I personally
have found great comfort knowing that I can learn about different aspects of our community by
attending my local townhall meetings. Hearing what other fellow citizens have to say about
their neighborhood is reassuring to know that there are others with similar concerns that
require attention. Participating in any public discussion and learning about community issues is
a great way to gain the knowledge and information that I will need to make the choices that are
crucial to bettering my neighborhood which can impact many changes. I have a better
understanding of how participating in public discussion impacts my community as discussed in
our lesson in Democracy, as we have the right to become informed about public issues and to
monitor how our political leaders and representatives utilize their power and influence, and to
express our interests and opinions. To exercise our rights in a Democratic society, we can
influence change by being informed, and that is truly a powerful asset.

I also can make a difference in my community by engaging with my fellow citizens on how we
can collectively make our neighborhood better. Participating in group activities and
volunteering my time and services to improve our way of life. I think it is a great opportunity to
learn about the issues that our communities face when we can work together on accomplishing
a goal that is bigger than all of us. This can be impactful as we work together to achieve
something that can help others in need. Again, the power is in the numbers and when the
numbers are significantly high, we will have a great impact. I’m looking forward to spending my
time bettering my community, and I’ve learned from this course that we have the power to
make a difference in hopes of a better life not only for ourselves, but for our neighbors and
fellow citizens of this country.