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BLOG

Civic Engagement 101

  • Charles K.
  • Monday, October 12, 2020
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How much do you know about your local government?

It’s 2020 and like many people, I’ve been reassessing my lifestyle. My life so far has been good, I’m lucky to have what I have, and I am grateful for it. So, what do I mean when I say reassessment?  Well it hasn’t been a self-admonishing soul-searching quest of atonement where I throw away all my video games and walk a hot bed of coals. I guess I’m just feeling like I could be more involved in my community…  

Turns out that what’s missing in my life is called civic engagement, and I don’t know as much about it as I should, so I’m taking on the challenge of finding out and along the way I thought I would share knowledge and ask questions. This post will contain some good information, and also ask questions kinda like a quiz.

Hopefully it will be a challenge, but if not then you’re doing great already!  I thought starting right in Columbia would be appropriate. Government in municipalities is up close and personal and if you want to get engaged this seems like the best place to start.  City governments almost always have websites where residents can get an idea of what’s going on in their city.

 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by City of Columbia (@wearecolumbia) on Jun 23, 2020 at 12:58pm PDT

You can visit the website for City of Columbia and check it out. I’ve visited this website on many occasions in the past and found it to be helpful for finding out information regarding our wonderful municipality.  What I’m interested in now is the city council and when they have meetings.

Attending city council meetings is a great way of learning about the governance of your city.  It allows you to see leaders active in the process of managing a city and allows you to form your own opinions from first-hand experience. City of Columbia council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 2 pm. 

A key way to civically engage is to exercise your right to vote and getting to know the people who were voted into office is a great way to help you make an informed decision in the next election.  If you think that getting down to the city council chambers for the meeting might be a problem for you, then you can attend a virtual meeting, here.  I, like many people, find the process of learning anything hard if I can’t have hands-on experience and this is a great way for me to get that experience.  Join me at the next meeting to find out what we didn’t know that we needed to know.

 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by City of Columbia (@wearecolumbia) on Jan 7, 2020 at 2:05pm PST

 

Test your Knowledge

So now it's time for the quiz! I present the questions with links to the answers below.  May the force be with you.

  1. Do you know which district of Columbia SC, you live in? Who is your Councilperson?
  2. What style of local government does the City of Columbia use?
  3. What is the other style of local government used in the United States?
  4. Who is the City Manager for Columbia SC?
  5. How many city council members can you name?
  6. What does the term “At-large” mean in relation to local government?
  7. Does our mayor have veto power?
  8. Can you attend a city council meeting virtually? (hint: answer can be found in the blog post above)

_________________________________________________

Ok, here are links to the answers:

  1. Here is a great tool to find out the info you need to answer question 1 just enter your address!
  2. You can find out what system of local government Columbia uses, here.
  3. You can find the other form of local government, here.
  4. You can find out about Columbia’s city manager, here.
  5. Drumroll! Check out those council members, here.
  6. Find the definition of “At-large” here.
  7. Find out if the Mayor has veto power, here.
  8. Attend a virtual city council meeting, here!

Ready to learn even more? Check out more great civic engagement resources and recommendations from our staff, here. 

Author

Charles K.

Associate

Tags
Civic Engagement
Politics
Audience
Adults
Seniors
Teens (12-18 years)

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