As Election 2016 progresses toward various parties’ nominating conventions this summer, (for Republicans, July 18-21 in Cleveland, Ohio; for Democrats, July 25-28 in Philadelphia, Pa.; the Green Party, Aug. 4-7 in Houston, Texas; the Libertarian Party, May 27-30

in Orlando, Fla.), presidential hopefuls are in the final stretch of

the primaries, looking to claim their spots as their parties’ standard

bearers in the general election. The duopoly has outdone all other major

parties in the still-ongoing battle of attrition. Donald Trump is the

last person standing in the Republican field of 17; Hillary Clinton is

being touted as the presumptive Democratic nominee.

By all

indications, Election 2016 will be a watershed moment in U.S. electoral

politics—though for reasons that should alarm even a casual observer.

Leid Stories has been looking at this historical moment in terms of what

politics and the political process have come to mean and be for the

masses of people. We continue this discussion, focusing on what we are

learning, or have learned, about our relationship to the political

apparatus, and ways in which we can affect political outcomes through an

increased consciousness and strategic use of power.