Theodore R. Johnson’s Jan. 29 op-ed, “A student asked how to improve government. My reply was disappointing.,” was inspired by an email from a high school student from Dallas. Post Opinions asked readers: “What advice would you give young people about improving government?” Here are some of the responses.
My answer comes from experience: The health of any institution, whether a school, workplace or nation, depends on impartiality. When decision-making bends to convenience, hierarchy or pressure, trust collapses. Good government begins with the courage to insist on fairness even when it is uncomfortable.
Gen Z already understands this. We are not afraid to question authority, to challenge systems that fail us or to demand transparency from those in power. That instinct is not disruptive; it’s democratic. The future will be shaped by people who refuse to accept “that’s just how things are” and instead ask, “Why should it be this way?”
Improving government doesn’t require status, wealth or connections. It requires speaking up, participating locally, scrutinizing decisions and refusing to let complexity intimidate us into silence.
Muhibo Abdalla, Leicester, England
You can improve government by having an open mind. We have one mouth and two ears for a reason. Present your case in a diplomatic fashion, devoid of emotion. Listen to what the other person says, leaving emotion out of your intake and without interrupting. You may not agree with each other, but you both hear a new perspective. Make every attempt to reach a middle ground or walk away. You most likely will not change the other person’s mind, but arguing will get you nowhere.
Norman St. Amour, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Start on the local level and focus on one topic that you feel is important or simply right. This will form a basis for learning how the government works. If observation and participation lead to broader discussions and organizing, then improving government from the inside is a possibility. As a young person, I attended every city council meeting over four years, talked to countless people and learned how the Virginia Beach government worked and how it interacted with other cities. Through these connections, I volunteered with the city and with groups working on the issues that drove me. All the while, I built up a network that, though it did not lead to me being elected to an office, did help others be elected and improve the trajectory of my city.
The public is hungry for leadership. Folks are busy living their lives but do appreciate and gravitate toward those who step forward and develop the skills to represent them and the common good.
Georgette Constant, Norfolk
I would advise young people to spend less time in places like I am (here writing online versus talking to others in person).
Government’s problems cannot be solved with X posts or put-downs or cancellations. Good government involves ideas from many groups getting masticated and digested — a messy process. By contrast, social media has almost ended true public discourse by replacing it with outrage. The majority of us, who for the most part are in the middle, cannot outcompete the platformed yelling that seems to win both local and national elections and hence crystallizes polarization in institutional form. We need less usage of “efficient” computerized systems that supersede face-to-face contact.
Carl Hastings, Narragansett, Rhode Island
Register to vote today. Bookmark your local government website for election dates. Check the League of Women Voters’ website for candidate questionnaires and information on ballot measures.
Vote in the primaries: That’s where the real election is most places. This means voting in the primary for whichever party is favored where you live — even if it’s not “your” party. Down the road, don’t be afraid of ranked-choice voting or other potential electoral reforms; be afraid of political parties that claim to be your only choice.
If something in your neighborhood or larger community concerns you, reach out to local officials — a librarian, the city transportation office, whoever might be able to answer a question or field a request. Their job is to help your community (not always you, personally, though).
Volunteer somewhere: library, pet shelter, school, a cleanup group, scouting group, church, food pantry or whatever organization is named on a sign for adopting a road. If no one’s name is there, maybe put your family, church, business or other group’s name there and clean it up once a month.
Anytime someone claims something outrageous or incendiary against another group or idea, do your own research: How often does this come up? How does it affect you and your community? What choices do people have? Who benefits monetarily from the status quo or from changing it? And, crucially: What else might be more important in your life choices and your community than this issue?
Jon Johnson, McKinney, Texas
The single most important thing young people can do is what we all can do, this year and every year: vote. Ideally, they would be digging deeper into each candidate and taking the time to become engaged and educated. But as that may sound overwhelming, they could instead simply pay attention to those around them whom they respect and trust. Many of us are unhappy, yet many of us failed to vote. Republicans are working diligently to try to restrict voting rights. There’s a very good reason for that.
Elizabeth Sinclair Cady, Bowie
Retire, for everyone’s sake
According to the Feb. 15 editorial “Dr. Oz has a point about retirement,” it would be fine for Americans to postpone retirement. The editorial stated, “Today, 63 percent are in management, professional, sales or office occupations. These are largely not physically taxing jobs, and healthy people can continue to do them into their late 60s with little issue.”
The Mayo Clinic appears to disagree. Callie M. Davies, a sports medicine physician there, cautions, “Sitting for most of the workday, an average of eight hours, raises your mortality risk, meaning you have a higher chance of dying earlier than expected.” And, the clinic reports, “Studies that combine many research results show that prolonged sitting — more than eight hours a day — is linked to more than double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.” I retired a decade ago at age 58 and am infinitely more physically fit now that I spend up to three hours a day running, walking, doing resistance exercise and taking yoga classes.
Did the Editorial Board consider the retired workers who provide much-needed day care services at no cost for grandchildren? Did it consider the volunteer hours that retired workers donate to their communities?
Sandy Eisen, Olney
Did Dr. Oz miss the Feb. 5 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that the number of job openings in the U.S. was down by 966,000 over the year? Encouraging people to continue working past retirement age if they do not need the money is a slap in the face to the younger workers who need us old guys to clear out so they can advance — and a slap in the face to us retirees who remain quite functional, thank you very much. I retired at 60 to free up my job slot, but I kept working until I was 75 as a contractor when I had expertise for specific projects, could mentor newer hires and serve as a bit of institutional memory. I recommend it.
Barbara Meierhoefer, Arlington
Do you hear the people sing?
The Feb. 11 Style article “When the audience tries to steal the show on Broadway,” about a viral incident in which a man confronted a group of fellow audience members during intermission at “Mamma Mia!,” asked, “Is it okay to sing along at a Broadway show?”
The answer is easy and unequivocal. No. The performers on stage do not want to hear you sing, and the people sitting next to you do not want to hear you sing. It’s a dreadful distraction that can destroy someone else’s enjoyment and experience. Save your enthusiasm for the privacy of your home or car.
Melissa Pollak, Arlington
The problem isn’t confined to singing. Over 50 years ago, I attended Bob Newhart’s show in Las Vegas. Before beginning one of his classic routines, he said to the audience, “I’ve changed some of the lines in this because I get confused watching everyone’s lips moving along with me.”
Donald A. Tracy, Bethesda
Following Neal Katyal’s Feb. 25 op-ed, “Tariffs were illegal. Now Trump wants to delay refunds.,” Post Opinions wants to know: If you run a business, what opportunities did your company lose because capital was redirected to tariffs? Send us your response, and it might be published as a letter to the editor. wapo.st/tariff_costs
The post Gen Z instinctively understands something that everyone else misses appeared first on Washington Post.
