One of the biggest problems in this country is the lack of education when it comes to the political process and how our government functions.
If I were going to teach a class on government and political science, which is something that every high school student should be required to take, I would include the following basics.
- What is in the constitution both state and federal?
- What are the basic three branches of government?
- How do the three branches of government function in relationship to each other?
- What is the basic party system, and what are the basic platforms of local active parties in New Mexico?
- How are political platforms created for political parties?
- What is the definition for liberal and conservative and how does it affect the way government is run in today’s society?
- Define socialize, capitalize and how the two forms of government are combined to create the current American governmental system.
- Who are your political representatives in New Mexico and Nationally?
- What are their stands and how do they approach governing?
- What are the responsibilities of elected representatives to the voting public?
- What are their job duties and responsibilities?
- How dose state government agencies work and who runs them?
- What are your legal rights and responsibilities as an American Citizen and a resident of New Mexico?
- How does one go about registering to vote?
If every New Mexican understood these basic concepts then our state would be a better place to live and work. At present the voters of this state let elected official and special interest groups represented by lobbyists run our state rather than the voters controlling the process. A failure of the voting public to control this process can only lead to mismanagement and corruption. The voting public of New Mexico only has themselves to blame if our state government is not run in a correct manner because it is every citizen’s responsibility and duty to manage the way the government controls our society. They don’t call elected official "public servants" for no reason.
