Politics is not a topic that many Americans bring up voluntarily. According to the Pew Research Institute, 65% of survey participants stated they "always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics." More than half "feel angry,” only 10% feel "hopeful," and even fewer (4%) are excited.“ With a national election barely a month away, we wanted to know how our students experience the current climate. What do they see in politics? How does it matter to their lives? Are they engaged? Do they think their peers are? Please join host Dr. Babette Faehmel and guests for an energized and highly insightful discussion of partisan polarization, misinformation, the role of social media in shaping our politics, and of what we ourselves can do to be empowered civically literate participants in political debates. The guests are: Sean Millington, Political Science Major, member of the SUNY Student Assembly, and the President of the College Democrats* at SUNY Albany; Daniel and Saeed with the SUNY Schenectady Student Government Association; SUNY Schenectady students Nadine and Cesarina, and Rae Doyle, Professor of Communication and Chairperson of the Academic Senate at SUNY Schenectady.*We reached out to the Student Republicans at SUNY Albany as well but had not heard back at the time of this recording.Looking for reliable information on current events and election matters? Check out these resources: Retro ReportWhat they say about themselves:“At a time when misinformation is rampant and there’s disagreement over objective facts, our team of award-winning journalists and educators is creating trusted documentary videos and classroom resources. Our work brings a greater understanding of current events, fights misinformation and encourages inquiry.”The Center for Artistic ActivismWhat they say about themselves:“At the Center for Artistic Activism we help people use their creativity and culture to effect power.”U.S. Vote Foundation What they say about themselves:“Every Citizen Is a Voter. The foundation aims for every citizen to have open access to voter information and the ability to easily engage in their democracy and civic life with voting as a central action.VOTE411 What they say about themselves:Vote 411 is a “one-stop shop” for election-related information. It provides nonpartisan information to the public with both general and state-specific information on many aspects of the election process.Ground NewsWhat they say about themselves:"Ground News was created to offer clarity in an increasingly chaotic media landscape. Our vision is positive coexistence where cooperative, civil debate is the norm, media is accountable, and critical thought is the baseline of our information consumption. We’re on a mission to well inform the world by empowering readers to think freely about the issues of our times."The views voiced on this episode reflect the lived experiences and uncensored opinions of the guests; they do not necessarily capture the full diversity of attitudes within a larger community, nor do they express an official view of SUNY Schenectady.

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