elections provide us with the opportunity to determine how our own interests can best be served. we may, for example, try to decide which board of education candidate does not favor increasing our property taxes. we might also ask whether the republican candidate for governor sees the need to create jobs as the state's top priority or whether the democratic challenger running for congress supports increasing money for education and public transportation. once we feel enough questions have been answered, we must decide how actively to participate in the campaign. will we try to ignore it? will we work for the candidate or political party we favor? will we vote? any decision contributes to our self-development and expression.