There’s been a growing amount of political participation these past few months. Citizens are calling their representatives, dozens of protests pop up every weekend, and Congress people are facing massive crowds at town halls meetings.
But only a small number of Americans are considered politically engaged. A 2012 study by the Pew Research Center found that approximately 20% of adults had attended a political meeting and only 6% participated in an organized protest.
For many people, 2016 was the first time they actively participated in political events.
That includes 87-year-old Lois Robins.
She’s a member of the North Oakland Indivisible Team, a group that is organizing to resist against the Trump presidency.
Robins says the process of contacting elected officials is brand new to her.
"I've never done this before in my life," Robins said. "I wasn't even sure who my congress people were. This election is unlike anything I've ever seen in all my years and I just realized I could not keep floating around in my apolitical bubble."
Her concerns range from what she described as "lies from the White House" to attacks on the media, President Donald Trump's cabinet choices, and the Supreme Court. She said she tries to contact Rep. Bishop's staff to ask about upcoming in-person events and is told that "nothing is scheduled."
