Which is more powerful: 1 or 535? Both the Democrat and Republican conventions are quickly approaching with less than three months before each party chooses their nominee to run in the fall. Chaos and non-stop media coverage have been a staple of urban American culture for the past eight months.. On the democrat side is Bernie Sanders, a self proclaimed democratic socialist from Vermont competing against former Secretary of State and First Lady, Hillary Clinton, who has had a rocky year dealing with scandals. On the other side is billionaire businessman Donald Trump who has never worked in politics in his life. His biggest threat to the nomination is former Texas senator Ted Cruz. a candidate who is struggling to get his own party to accept him and his conservative views.

I flip on the news and see coverage of trash-talk, name-calling, slandering every daily. Some might come to the same conclusion just as I frequently have: Whether it’s Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, our country is doomed. Here’s where they go wrong…

    Many people, especially first-time voters, get the notion that the President holds all power. They fear if someone far left or far right is elected, the country would be ruined. They threaten to move to Canada. While it’s possible that the country could be taken in the wrong direction under the wrong president, many voters forget about Congress.

    Congress is made up of 435 representatives and 100 senators from the 50 states and DC. When a bill is introduced, Congress votes. Even if a president wanted to propose a radical idea, there’s a good chance Congress will not pass it.

   The solution for those who feel they don’t fully support any of this year’s candidates is to think small. Everyone has a voice, the power to give their opinion, and express it through a government official.

    Joe Donnelly is one of two U.S. senators who represent Indiana in congress. Serving in his fourth year, Donnelly understands the importance of voting for local government officials.

    “The ability to participate freely in our democracy is among our most fundamental rights. Civic engagement at all levels of government is critical to the success of our state and country. I encourage all eligible Hoosiers to participate in our nation’s democratic process,” Donnelly said

    What Americans must understand is how a democracy works. Democracy gives power to the individual like no other style of government. Every legal citizen of the US over 18 years old has the right to elect their government officials at each level. So why only pay attention to one person?

    This isn’t an argument to prove that the President is unimportant and powerless, more so that voters should take advantage of the right to voice their opinion. Indiana Congresswoman Susan Brooks says there is a difference between levels of government.

    “While the President is concerned with what’s best for the country as a whole, my job in Congress is to focus specifically on what’s best for more than 700,000 people of the Fifth District of Indiana when it comes to national policy. Every level of government plays an important role, and your vote for those officials responsible for advocating for and representing you is critical to making sure that your interests are part of the local, state, and national debate,” Brooks said.

    Brooks gave a couple examples of how local level government can affect students and new voters.

    “As part of their job, state level officials help determine testing standards for you as students and decide how much you’ll pay in sales and income taxes,” Brooks said

    For a student, government might seem boring, especially when it’s competing with a thousand other tasks for your time. That being said, now is the time to express your voice. Learn about your local level officials and go cast your vote.