While lying in bed, I toss and turn; my mind wandering; my thoughts meandering; and eventually, I doze off. What keeps me up at night is not excitement over the holidays or tomorrow's big game, but rather a passion and a thirst for progress. Politics is a mundane field of study for a lot of people and many of my friends cannot stand the thought of having to discuss public policy and political culture. For me, however, it is something I genuinely enjoy.
It wasn't long ago that I, like them, misunderstood people's excitement about political events. I believe it was during the healthcare talks in 2009 that I first fell in love with the science of politics. Up until that point, I had seen politics as being a game between old men in grey suits. Watching the public discourse on television and hearing people's personal testimonies forever changed my opinion. It isn't about power or the office; it's about people and the ability to change life for them. Regardless of which side of the aisle one is on, I believe we all have an innate longing for progress.
Those arguments influenced my perception of a politician's importance and a political scientist's love. Regardless of the issue–environmental protection, food and drug regulations, or healthcare reform–politics is important to all of us. It touches something in everyone's life and even the most boring of subjects can have an immense impact on a person's career, health, or livelihood. My father is a pharmacist and small business owner; my mother has scoliosis. Whether its working in my dad's pharmacy or helping my mom with day-to-day activities, I've learned things one can't find in a textbook and I've seen the need for change and progress, in more ways than one.
All of this is why politics intrigues me so much. One vote on Capital Hill can change the lives of many. Whether it's healthcare reform, economic policy, or something close to home like investment in schools and