IT IS THAT time of the year again. No, not time to get drunk and have fun as the title might suggest, but election time at the University. Over the next few weeks, the top elected student positions for the University will be chosen by student popular vote. That means an endless supply of new Facebook groups and that guy from your econ discussion telling you, "Hey, I was in your economics discussion, vote for me!"
The basic problem with all University elections, and elected bodies for that matter, is that the entire system is built around style -- not substance. Voting is not based on any real ideological choice, but whose Facebook group you joined first. The solution to this problem, like everything else in life, is to party, but the type of party I am talking about is a political party. The development of student political parties at the University will greatly improve the entire system by creating real choices when voting and increasing institutional efficiency.
Numerous political parties could be created to represent the interests of various groups of students. The content of these political parties do not really matter as long as they are supported by a certain part of the electorate. Serious parties that deal with the honor code, students' rights, and minority rights all have their place in the system. Other parties representing the interests of instaters and out of staters could just as easily arise. Political parties will unite students who share a common belief and will help to implement their beliefs within the University.
If there are several parties with clearly defined platforms, then voting will finally become meaningful and you will not have to vote for that guy just because he was in your economics discussion. When we as students go to our computers to vote, the truth is that we know only a handful of the candidates running and most of us are too busy to read the message each candidate writes. Even if we had the time and patience to read each message, there are only vague statements like, "I will work for all students" and "I want to make things better." These statements might sound nice, but they contain little substance. As a result, we often make arbitrary decisions that do not truly represent our beliefs. However, if political parties existed, we could vote for the candidate for every office that best represents our beliefs. For example, if my top priority is Coke replacing Pepsi as the dominant soda in the dining halls, then I could vote for the candidates from the political party that supports changing sodas and my beliefs would be truly expressed in all candidates running.
A model for the creation of political parties is the current endorsement process that occurs within many University clubs. Currently, many student organizations will put out a list of candidates who they believe best represent their interests. According to the University Board of Elections, the advantage of these endorsements is that they allow organizations to "join the conversation on issues important to the University and its students." These endorsements are incredibly influential and often determine the outcome of elections. Political parties within the University could be modeled on this process or could even be offshoots of the clubs themselves. If University organizations had their own political parties running in elections, then their influence over University affairs would be much greater. Another advantage to having political parties over just club endorsements is that these parties will also represent students who are not involved in any student organization and they will also represent ideologies that are more germane to University topics.
Once candidates are finally elected based on their substance and not their Facebook group, then the resulting elected institutions will run more smoothly. Currently, each member of an elected student organization has their own agendas and beliefs. We all hear horror stories about the great inefficiency and cronyism rampant within various elected student organizations. These institutions often have infighting and the interests of those elected are more important than that of student body. However, if elected officials believe in and are responsible to an ideology greater than themselves, then there will be much more accountability. Those with similar ideological beliefs can work more smoothly with each other so more can get done and debate can become more substantive.
It is clear that the advent of Facebook and other forms of internet communication has only made the election process at the University worse. The creation of political parties offers a real opportunity to make the system work better for both candidates and voters. Students, especially those in a position of power, should hold and participate in a conference to help create these political parties so that the elections of tomorrow actually matter.
Sam Shirazi is a Cavalier Daily Viewpoint Writer. He is a first-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences.
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