Elections celebrate citizenship

BY THEODORE S. ARRINGTON

A political scientist for over 40 years, Professor Theodore ("Ted") Arrington teaches American politics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In addition to his special research tracking voting behavior, Dr. Arrington has been called upon as an expert witness for voting rights cases throughout the United States and in Canada. The Sentinel asked him to share some thoughts about voting and how to bring a spiritual approach to politics.

Back in the 1960s, political scientists discovered what they called the "civic culture," not just in the United States but in other stable democratic countries where there's a trust in people that extends beyond the family—where people work together for the common good, and where human rights are valued. Without those attitudes, it's very difficult to sustain democracy because democracy includes willingness to compromise, to see that other people have legitimate interests that should be fairly represented.

But even so, making choices at the national and international level is not always easy. And it seems to me that one of the mistakes people make is relying too much on personality in politics. If someone looks to human personality, they're going to be disappointed because people are people; they're not God. I've found it's best to look to God instead—to divine Principle—for guidance, and then ask such questions as: What policy will best approximate the highest good? Which party or candidate is oriented toward that highest good?

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