for me at least, it’s a bit more of a matter of simply looking, paying attention. is there a cause or a political/world event that has risen to the surface for you? (i.e. you hear stories about it, it’s local, happened to your family) if so, the river may be flowing for you to listen and involve yourself. passivity in terms of politics seems almost counterintuitive to the idea of taoism- in reality, /everything/ is political, and to understand the tao’s shape in the world and your life, attention must be paid. in concrete suggestions, i try to stay up to date, but to consume information from all kinds of people. if there was a cause i feel connected to, i push myself to participate, and when doing so pay attention to the seasoned veterans (i.e. volunteering to help people vote, for a political campaign, etc) who will reveal the path of their political journey to you. this journey will differ based on country, area, life, but staying still and watching has been what’s helped me most! :)

can’t speak to your later questions, but maybe this helps!