Democratic Citizens

7. Massively Parallel Roles & Tasks

As we have said other places in this guide, democracy is not a "spectator sport." But too many of us engage in it as if it were.  We follow and root for "our team," and if we get involved at all, it is through an occasional donation and by voting every few years, if that. (Many Americans don't even vote, because they think that their vote "won't make a difference." So they just complain about "the other side," and some complain about both sides, but they don't do anything about it.  Some try to influence others on social media by sharing what they have learned about some key issue — usually from sources that they find credible even though others, and especially those on the other side, may see as partisan and biased. If we want to save American democracy, then we need to get out of our silos, start learning about the issues from all sides' points of view, and then choose one or two issues we really care about and start working on them.  As we do this, we need to consider the views of those who have different opinions and honestly try to understand and evaluate the merits of their arguments. Don't just assume that their objections are without merit.

Before going on to the conflict actors with specialized roles and expertise, we want to highlight the critical role that must be played by grassroots citizens who conscientiously exercise their civic responsibilities, while also supporting the  larger democratic system and the people working in the many roles we outline.  They do not have special training; they are not playing one of the other roles.  They are just engaging responsibly in their role of “citizen” and taking that role seriously, realizing that it not only entails rights, but also responsibilities.

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