"The only way to make change is to participate, and especially at the local level, residents can have an impact,” says Terry Christensen, professor of political science at San Jose University and longtime community activist. “Most people don’t participate at all, so your influence is disproportionate to your numbers if you do.” In other words, you could be a big fish in a small pond.

But how do you begin to get politically engaged in your community affairs? “You just jump in,” advises Christensen. “Find a candidate, campaign, policy issue, or community group and show up.”

Connect Online

To start, begin at your virtual corner store—the Internet—and check out your town’s Website for dates and times of municipal meetings, school board information, and more. At Meetup.com you can search by geographic region and connect with others in your community. But the key to really engaging, says Christensen, is to “show up repeatedly and to begin to know other participants— to build a network.”

Connect Politically

Don’t be intimidated by thinking big politics is above you; the federal government stands on the shoulders of its local constituents, and you can make your voice heard on local issues. While Christensen says senators in big states are difficult to reach, members of the House are far more accessible. “Go to one of their town hall meetings. Typically, maybe 50 people attend these, so you’ll have a chance to ask a question or advocate a position.”

If you have a particular local concern, ask for a meeting with your House of Representatives member at their district office, but don’t go it alone; you’ll be more likely to get an appointment if you represent a group. And if you do get their time, “put together a small team that represents your group and plan your talking points before the meeting,” advises Christensen. He also suggests keeping your presentation succinct and leaving a written copy of your concerns.

Connect Conveniently

We’re all pressed for time, but there are ways to get locally active without devoting a ton of time. For starters, sign up for e-mail newsletters from your local representatives to keep tabs on their positions. (Project Vote Smart will show you all your reps by zip code.) If you have a few more hours, Christensen says to narrow your focus by picking one candidate, campaign, or organization and plan on devoting maybe two days a month to that cause—one for a monthly meeting and one for an additional organizational activity. “Regular participation, even on a limited basis, is more important than the total amount of time,” points out Christensen. But be forewarned: Christensen says that if you regularly participate, it will only be a matter of time before you’re asked to be in charge of something or to chair a committee!