Two issues ago, I wrote about the choices we make everyday when buying products and the ethical repercussions therein. This time I’m going to examine how those product choices influence politics.

We see ads every day for things we want, and often we feel like some C.E.O. somewhere is deciding what it is we want and therefore producing it. But that is not the complete case. When C.E.O.’s decide what the next thing to produce is going to be it is out of public demand. The public creates that demand, which means that we, the public get our say in what we want with the things we buy. For example, we wanted to download music, not have to carry around cd players everywhere, and wanted small, cute gadgets to do that. So the I-pod “Nano” and other similar mp3 players were introduced. We usually get what we want because that spells profit to corporations. Now that statement means a whole lot more than we realize, because it empowers us to sway demand any way we like, and companies have to conform.

Now how does this influence politics you ask? Well, we have to wonder who funds politicians. Money does, and big corporations supply that money, and they get it from you, the consumer. In short, some of the money you spend on popular and controversial products and services, like abortions, credit cards, cigarettes, bongs, and guns all influence politicians and the laws they make through lobbying. Because guns and credit cards are so popular there are still laws that let you buy semi-automatic handguns and assault rifles even though none of those are used for recreational hunting, and instead yield high crime and death rates.

It is buying power like the aforementioned examples that instills responsibility in every consumer. That is why I advocate purchasing from smaller institutions, like mom and pop stores, when you can. Spending money in local, non-chain, stores not only gives money back to your local communities, but keeps the money local and does not support big companies that change laws to suit their greedy financial desires. Buying local gives more resources to your local governments, which use that money to benefit you, not C.E.O’s.

In short, it is up to you to choose who you support because it does matter. And every purchasing decision you make affects the demand of the next products to come out, affects the overall economic status of this country and your immediate community, and affects the overall social status for everyone. Just remember, the power is within you…and your wallet.