Try making charts of the issues and the views of the candidates. Draw lines through those candidates who drop out and discuss why they left. How do people choose candidates, anyway? Talk about the wrong ways to choose, as well as the right ones. Too many people are elected because they have money, looks or the right demographics. Talk about any prejudices that might enter into the decisions. For example, many people wouldn't vote for Dole because she was a woman. A poll showed that 17% of voters in a recent Gallop poll stated that they would not vote for a Mormon candidate, a prejudice that harmed the candidacy of Orrin Hatch. Kennedy was the only non-Protestant ever elected to the presidency. Since then, only one major candidate was not a Protestant. Should these issues matter in an election? These are important to discuss. Unless your child knows what goes into choosing the President, he cannot avoid the traps the media will set for him.
One of the best ways to ensure your teen will show up at the voting booth is to get him involved in a campaign for either a candidate or an issue. Presidential campaigns might seem more glamorous, but local campaigns are more educational and more personal. When I worked on a campaign for a regional office, I met the candidate in person. The issues affected my life and my family. With a smaller campaign, a teen can really feel he is making a difference. Just listening to the conversations in the office as I stuffed envelopes was educational, and I learned to really understand the psychology of politics. Working for an issue can lead to a lifelong occupation. Help your teen identify one he cares about very deeply. Not only will he learn about politics, but he will also learn about science, health or whatever subjects are covered by the issue.
Volunteer work is another way to become politically aware. Working as a volunteer reading tutor led to a lifelong interest in literacy, and also helped me to learn about the educational challenges brought about by poverty. Volunteering in public schools helped me to understand education issues. As a young teenager, I once led a campaign to save a park, coming up with the financial solution that was eventually used. Not only did I have a sense of empowerment, but I learned that practical solutions had to accompany idealistic visions. All of these experiences made me an enthusiastic fan of politics.
