Of the many progressively-oriented political books I have read, one of those that I enjoyed most and will almost certainly read again was The Assault on Reason by Al Gore. His central thesis is that the success of the American democracy depends on an informed electorate with an investment in the political process. I agree completely, even as I recognize that it can be challenging to find reliable, unbiased information.

As progressives, we belong to a political minority in the U.S. Few elected Democrats can pass as progressives these days, even when they are on their best behavior. This is part of why I take the responsibility of being an informed voter so seriously. It is critical that we increase our voice throughout society and our visibility in the political arena.

Naturally, it is not always easy to know what we can do to contribute to the political system besides the obvious but too often neglected act of casting our votes. We rarely seem to have candidates who support genuinely progressive policies, and when we do, the media tends to demolish them quickly.

One of the things that I have been doing with increasing frequency is communicating (letters, calls, e-mails) with my elected officials. I thank them when they support worthwhile causes, urge them to take action on important issues, and express disapproval when they betray progressive values.

I have heard some complain that it is difficult to follow how their elected officials are actually voting, but this need not be the case. There are many places one can learn about how one's elected officials have been voting and how to contact them:

• Project Vote Smart
• Congress.org
• ACLU Congressional Scorecard

In The Assault on Reason, Gore envisions a form of rational politics where the citizenry are invested and learn to hold politicians and the media accountable for their attempts to mislead us. I want this vision to become a reality. I want to be part of the solution.

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