If you are politically interested, think about the media you pay attention to.  Is it cable news network programs?  Do you follow national politics closely?  Do you know alot about what President Obama or Congress is doing?  Do you think alot about who will control the Congress next year and whether the president will be stymied in his policy initiatives?

At the same time, how much do you hear about what your state legislator is doing?  How much do you hear about what is going on at the state or local level?   Aren't the headlines and and the stories of the press primarily directed at the president and the Congress and national elections?

We have a national media that covers politics and government extensively.  With 24 hour cable network news and talk radio programs and Internet news, in addition to national newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times, there is quite alot of attention to what is going on in Washington.

That is not the same at the state and local level.  Few people know what the legislature is doing or how their legislator has voted, even on key issues.  While local newspapers often will cover how a member of Congress voted on a high profile bill, that is not the case at the local level.  Relatively few people even know who their member of the legislature is.  That is true even for people who otherwise are pretty interested in politics.

Why is this so?

Let me first suggest that it isn't because what goes on at the state and local level isn't important.  In fact, one could argue it is more important.  More of our day to day activities are affected by state and local government than by the federal government -- education, transportation, zoning and urban planning, taxes, public safety, etc.

We focus on the national level partly because we have a media system that is more national than local.  Network television, particularly, has shifted the attention nationally.  This has been exacerbated with 24 hour cable channels.  Also, nationally syndicated talk radio -- Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Dr. Laura -- is more common than local talk radio.

And newspapers cover politics and government less than they used to as they seek to compete for a less politically interested audience.  Covering state and local politics requires local staff, which is more costly than just taking a wire story or syndicated column.  The recent cutback in the reporting staff of the Deseret News indicates that, at least locally, coverage of local and state politics and government is going to suffer even more.

All of this adds up to a lack of accountability for state and local politicians.  We're not watching what they're doing as much as we should because we're not being told about what's going on as much as we should.  Without that knowledge, we cannot participate and hold state and local elected officials responsible for what they do.

What to do?

Don't just follow the media's lead in paying attention to national politics.  There is more to what is going on, and what effects you directly, than what is happening with President Obama and the Congress.

Pay close attention to what is being said in local media about the state legislature.  Even though coverage seems to be declining (and likely will decline even more), pay attention to what is written and reported.

Go to the legislature's website and look up what your state legislator is doing.  You'll probably be astounded and disturbed.  Most people don't realize that many of these Republican legislators are not Republicans at all.  They're really libertarians masquerading as Republicans.  For example, while Republicans believe in some role for government, many of these people want government out of areas like education, transportation, recreation, etc.  They don't want public schools, roads, parks, recreation programs, etc.  

Don't let state and local politicians off the hook.  They're making decisions that affect your life in so many ways.  Find out what they're doing and then hold them accountable for what they've done (or not done) in your name.