1. How can civic action at the local level change society?
Through protests and social reform, civic action can change society at the local level. Small acts of defiance or demonstrations can go a long way, and many times civic actions serve as inspiration and motivation for a society. Local actions and events eventually lead to national change, but it all begins with a smaller crowd. For instance, the 18th Amendment. It began with people wanting to get rid of local saloons, and people being unhappy with many alcohol-caused accidents. Eventually, society began to question the safety of alcohol consumption. Carrie Nation is a key example of how civic actions can greatly impact a society. She took her axe and sang Christian songs while breaking down bars …show more content…
with her supporters.
Now that's civic action, and it brought attention to the temperance movement. Eventually, the 18th amendment was established because society (most of it) felt that alcohol was something that should be prohibited. An even greater example is the Civil Rights Movement. Local civic action such as marches and demonstrations brought light to the racial injustices happening locally and nationally. Students endured sit ins at lunch counters, even when drinks and food were spilled on them. This happened in several different cities, and as society became more aware of the growing support for African American rights, more people became involved in the movement. Civic actions raise awareness on certain issues, and can completely change society's overall opinion.
2. What issues arise at the local level, and what action can be taken to solve the problems that arise?
Most of the time, the issues that arise at the local level are social issues. Issues concerning people's safety, rights, health, and opportunities are usually questioned and fought over. However, action can be taken to resolve those problems, and usually occurs in the form of civil disobedience, marches, violent protests, and
more. Basically, the people need to either take care of the problem themselves (if it's a minor issue that can be handled on a local scale) or take it up to the federal government. There are many cases where local problems become national issues that must be dealt with by the federal government. If we look at the Great Depression, so many people were unemployed and had no money. People lost their savings, and many could not keep their homes. This is an issue that should be resolved by the government, and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt did take action by establishing the New Deal. Many times, however, citizens can take matters into their own hands by protesting what they believe in. Just last year, the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. However, prior to that decision, people held marches and protests fighting for gay rights. The citizens took action to solve the problem of same-sex couples not being able to legally marry. And even today, we can see how people are protesting using the slogan “Black Lives Matter” in order to gain equal treatment for African Americans. What’s really interesting though, is that civic action has expanded into the internet. Now it seems as though citizens have a civic duty to record incidents on their phones, as proof that we need change. The internet is overflowing with videos of harassed African Americans and people protesting for equal rights. Not only that, but other issues are being brought to light through online sources. No matter how people take action, the important thing is that people address local issues and make the necessary change so that our nation can grow, improve, and prosper.