In the face of chaos and deterioration at the federal level, one can very easily feel powerless. For the average citizen who is opposed to Elon Musk’s careless destruction of federal agencies or Donald Trump’s recklessness with foreign policy, there are few ways to directly effect change. Sure, they can write to their representative or hold protests — as many in the area have been doing — but these efforts, while important, can only go so far.

So how does an engaged citizen channel their frustration in a productive way without disengaging altogether? It’s a difficult question, but I’ve realized that the key to standing up to immense power is understanding what you have control over and what you don’t, and then focusing on the areas in which you have some control.

While citizens are definitely not powerless against corruption at the federal level, there is little they can do to stand up to it on a daily basis. On a local level, though, there are many ways to be engaged and make a difference. Considering this, maybe the first step in combating subversion of our government by Trump and others is remembering how empowered we can be right here in our hometowns.

One individual who recognized the power of local civic engagement in the face of incompetence in federal government was President Calvin Coolidge, whose political career started right here in Northampton.

In a meeting of business leaders in 1924, Coolidge proclaimed that, “Unfortunately, the federal government has strayed far afield from its legitimate business. It has trespassed upon fields where there should be no trespass,” he said.

Ironically, Coolidge believed in limited federal power, and he sought to shrink the federal government’s spending over the course of his presidential tenure. However, unlike Trump, he did this thoughtfully. He was truly interested in making the government work better and not just using the pursuit of so-called “efficiency” as an excuse to actually exert more authoritarian control.

Even if you don’t agree with Coolidge’s approach, it’s pretty clear that he had reverence for our Constitution and systems of governance — something that cannot be said of Trump.

So, how did Coolidge recommend we compensate for a federal system that has lost its way? “Better local government,” he suggested in his speech “The Reign of Law” in 1925.

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Coolidge obviously placed high value on participation in local government: While in Northampton, he served as Republican City Committee member, Ward 2 city councilor, city solicitor, and eventually mayor before moving on to state politics.

As Coolidge’s political roots in Northampton suggest, this is a city that is unique in its residents’ civic and political engagement. More than in many cities, residents of Northampton show up to City Council meetings, run for positions of service, and use forums like the Gazette to express their ideas. And more than anything, this is the kind of action that is most powerful in combating dissolution of larger systems.

The passion that Northampton residents have for municipal and local issues has been especially apparent in recent months, when debates over school funding and other fiscal concerns have motivated even more people to become engaged. Although this situation has hurt a lot of people and led to tension between residents and elected leaders, the engagement that has come out of this situation highlights how much residents care about the issues that directly impact them.

Although we are often more focused on what takes place on the national level, it’s also the case that what happens locally can be just as important, if not more important, than the national stories that dominate our news feeds. School funding, infrastructure, commerce — these are the some of the issues that affect our lives the most on a day-to-day basis. And while federal actions threaten some of these issues, they begin at city and state levels where local residents aren’t powerless.

Although I laid some of them out earlier, here are ways that we can be civically engaged on a local level:

■Attending City Council, School Committee, and zoning meetings.

■Using social media and news platforms to discuss important issues.

■Requesting to meet with the mayor and City Council to hold them accountable on important issues.

■Educating ourselves on city regulations and ordinances.

Undoubtedly, engagement in local politics is not the only solution to failings at the federal level. However, if Coolidge’s rise to the White House says anything, it’s that anything important that takes place on the national stage started out on a much smaller scale, whether it was the offices of a municipal building or the halls of a state Legislature. Just as Coolidge made his way from mayor to governor and from governor to president, putting pressure on federal leaders begins to work when they see that elected officials on city and state levels are effectively being held to account.

It’s easy to feel powerless, but as residents of a city, we have some control. The buck might not end at City Hall, but it starts there.

Olin Rose-Bardawil of Florence is a student at the Williston Northampton School and the editor in chief of the school’s newspaper, The Willistonian.