The 2016 United States presidential election is at the center of every major news agency. Readers, viewers and listeners are being constantly bombarded with an overwhelming amount of information. Many will make an effort to avoid it, as they believe it’ll have no significant effect on themselves or their communities. However, the opposite is true. As more nationwide ordinances come to pass, the outcome of the 2016 election will have a major impact on local communities.

The two major candidates have polar opposite viewpoints on most issues, and their solutions could remarkably affect the everyday lives of people living in smaller cities like Elk Grove Village and Des Plaines.

For example, most residing in Chicago’s suburbs are middle-class families. Will their taxes be lowered, raised or stay the same? A reduction or increase in taxes could potentially have a huge impact on families.

Economic issues don’t just affect adults, however. An increase in the federal minimum wage could be the deciding factor in whether or not a young person wants to start working. It’s possible that students will be more likely to get an after-school or summer job if they get paid more. Freshman Jillian Evans thinks it should be increased for a different reason, saying, “Employers can take advantage of employees with lower wages.”

Another issue that would affect both students and teachers is education. Should new nationwide education initiatives be enacted, or should existing ones, like Common Core, be replaced with local ones?

“I think [education] is good with separate, local plans,” junior Shuayb Qadri said.

These initiatives could have a profound impact on what students are being taught by teachers every day.

On top of what is being taught, where students are taught could change, too. Changes to the federal policy of school choice would affect students and their families. The enrollment of Elk Grove High School, for example, might change if students were allowed to enroll in schools outside of their districts, or if families were given a voucher for a private school. Sophomore Steven Hernandez believes in a more open school choice policy, mentioning that it could benefit the students to choose a better school that might be outside of their local district.

These are just a few examples of federal policies greatly affecting local communities. Depending on which candidate is chosen, largely different policies will be put into place. It will be the voter’s decision.