Why Not Politics?

New MCCC program will encourage our students to consider a career in politics and government

By Joe LeBlanc, MCCC Vice President

In a letter to Robert Livingston in 1800, Thomas Jefferson urges him to consider a career in public service : "Come forward, then, and give us the aid of your talents and the weight of your character towards the new establishment of republicanism."

In our own time, too many of our students feel ambivalent or negative about government and politics. A survey conducted by the Harvard Political Review indicates that college students are "disillusioned about and disconnected from our political system." Here is a sampling of the results:

• 64 percent do not trust the federal government to do the right thing all or most of the time.
• 74 percent of college students believe that politicians are motivated by selfish reasons.
• 87 percent say they need more practical information about politics before they get involved.
• 86 percent of students agree that volunteering in the community is easier than volunteering in politics.
• 97 percent believe "enjoyment of activity" is an effective factor in motivating them [to volunteer]. But only 7 percent strongly agree that "political activity is enjoyable . . ."

The survey also points out that "college students are seeking new ways to solve local and national problems." It suggest that if students are shown that politics can play a positive role in changing our society and if students are given more direct contact with government, they are more likely to get involved with the political process. They are also more likely to see government as part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

College students are interested in volunteering, and the survey indicates that "60 percent of them are or have been involved in community service during the past year." Yet few of these students have volunteered for positions in government service and fewer still in political campaigns.

For our part, the MCCC requests that you encourage your students to work as legislative interns in the State House next semester. In a new union initiative, The MCCC Student Legislative Intern Program will provide six student interns with $250 grants to underwrite their transportation and other expenses. After selection by the Strategic Action Committee's Steering Committee in early December, the students will be interviewed by the Legislative Education Office. The LEA staff will then place our students in internships in a meaningful program for both students and staff.

We hope this initiative will provide an incentive for some of our best students to learn first-hand about state government and to consider a career in government and public service. We also hope it nurtures their idealism and shows them the vital role government and politics play in the future of this Commonwealth and nation.

Editor's note: Internship materials were sent out via email earlier this month. They are also available on the union's website: http://www.mccc-union.org.