The diary of a first-time voter: Politics is the study of power

Yesterday I was sitting in a café with my friend Cahal, discussing politics. More specifically, we were having a discussion about a recent paper that he sat on the subject. One question had been “What is politics?” He smiles: “I said politics is the study of power.”

I feel comfortable in these sorts of political conversations — they’re what I’m used to. When I think of politics, concepts of capitalism, socialism, communism, geopolitics, anarchy, neo-liberalism, and globalisation are what I gravitate to. When it comes to national and local politics, I’m afraid I’m less well-versed. This is uncomfortable to admit, because I don’t really like to confess to any ignorance on my own part. When a group of older friends are cracking jokes about whatever politician, it usually results in my engagement in a bout of furious under-the-table Googling.

That’s not to say I don’t care about political issues. I care about repealing the eighth amendment, and the right to bodily autonomy. I care about the environment, and Ireland fulfilling the promises we made at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference in Paris this December. I care about the quality of, and access to, education in Ireland. I care about the rights of the elderly, of children, of the Traveller community, of migrants, of the LGBTQIA community.