200 WORD RESPONSE from this post

 THE TOPIC IS LISTED IN BOLD FIRST. THEN THE PERSONS RESPONSE IS LISTED THAT I NEED A RESPONSE TO..

 Can you think of ways in which the political parties of your state have grown or weakened in significance over the past 3–5 years? Have these changes or a lack of change resulted in any tangible positive or negative outcomes that have personally affected you or your perceptions of political parties or state government activities? For example, do you feel that voting really helps your voice be heard?  

In general, political parties have significantly changed over the past 3-5 years. Traditionally, political parties across the nation have consisted of our two major parties which are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. However, in the State of Florida and across the nation, there has been a rise in the presence of the Libertarian Party. Other changes in political parties over the last 3-5 years include the divide between the Democratic and Republic parties which seems to continue to increase or widen.  It seems this battle between parties has intensified since the Trump Administration. This partisan divide has resulted in negative outcomes especially when observing the continued growth of hostility between the two major political parties. This divided body of government has taken a significant toll on the governing officials ability to keep their focus on the greater good of doing what’s right for the wellbeing of the nation and its citizenry.

While I do believe voting helps an individual’s voice be heard; it takes a lot more than just voting. As witnessed in last week’s unit, citizen participation and engagement is necessary for civic health and having your voice be heard. Taking the passive approach of only voting will not have the same impact as being more active within your community and the efforts of public officials and lawmakers.