Next week, on Tuesday, February 1st, the political parties in Minnesota will hold their caucuses. What is a caucus, you ask? Well, it is simply the first step in “We the People,” expressing our thoughts as to how our State and our Nation should be run in the coming years.  It is the “closest-to-home” opportunity you will have for giving input in how government will operate in the next two years and beyond. Typically, you attend the caucus of the party to which you feel most closely aligned. There you listen to the viewpoints of your neighbors and have the chance to offer your own ideas, often in the form of resolutions, you would like to see included in the party platform. That platform, in turn, guides the politicians affiliated with that party as they serve in government. It will also serve as a public statement informing people not yet affiliated with your party of what you stand for and inviting them to support candidates for office from your party. Caucuses are a very “low-key,” informal gathering, lasting about an hour, that most people find quite enjoyable. Even if you have never been to one before (which is usually a significant portion of the people in attendance), you will quickly feel at home and find it worth your while. I’d urge you to give it a try! For greater detail regarding how a caucus functions click here.
 
Speaking of resolutions, you are free to formulate your own, or you can "carry" resolutions composed by others reflecting your feelings on specific issues. As the Public Policy Advocate for the LCMS here in Minnesota, I’m attaching two sample resolutions dealing with topics our Church body has historically taken an interest in: 1) the right to life and, specifically, our opposition to doctor assisted suicide, and 2) the right of religious liberty, particularly the right of parents to direct the education of their children to religious or non-religious schools of their choosing (free from government bias which funds only one option). 
 
Concerning Doctor Assisted Suicide, click here to find the text of a resolution proposed by the Minnesota Alliance for Ethical Healthcare (of which the LCMS North and South Districts are members).
 
Concerning the right of parents to access the school of their choosing by allowing government educational dollars to follow the child, the following resolution is offered by Opportunity for All Kids (OAK) and is supported by the Minnesota Districts of the LCMS:

"We support the natural right of parents to make important decisions about their children's education through the enactment of Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)."

Education Savings Accounts are state programs which give parents direct control over the money allocated by the State Legislature for the education of that child. Such programs are constitutional and several have already been enacted in other States around the country. These programs clearly identify parents as the primary authority in the educational lives of their children and give them the financial capacity to place their children in the school of their choosing, religious or non-religious, public or private. Giving parents this ability encourages schools to be more responsive to the concerns of parents and has been shown to improve the quality of education that children receive.

Participation in the caucuses - it really is a very important way of exercising your citizenship. But even more than that, it’s an important way of fulfilling the calling we were all given in our baptism – the calling not just to love God, but to love our neighbor as ourselves. In the end, that’s what participating in the political process is all about: loving our neighbor by helping to guide our government into acting for the common good of every one. 

Enjoy the caucus!