With the presidential election fast approaching, news covering the policies of different political parties, presidential debates, and civic engagement assemblies starts to appear on campus. This is a time for students to start thinking about their role as US citizens: what is our responsibility in US politics and government? Why should we participate in the presidential election?
“My daughter's six. I told her that we have a government whose job is to care for the people. Our job as a people is to tell the government what's working, what's not, and what we want them to do.” During an interview with Tusitala, Stevenson School’s US government and politics teacher, Kelsey Bessette, explained that her six-year-old daughter has already learned the importance of civic engagement. Before we can learn how to engage, shouldn’t we first understand what we, as citizens, can engage in?
According to Purdue University, civic literacy is “the knowledge and skills to participate effectively in civic life by staying informed, understanding governmental processes, and exercising the rights and obligations of citizenship at local, state, national, and global levels.” It is a prerequisite for civic engagement: “the actions wherein individuals participate in activities of personal and public concern that are both individual life enriching and socially beneficial to the community” (The Association of American Colleges & Universities). It also serves as a check and balance to safeguard the government.
As the US government upholds the value of democracy for the people, “if the people don't know what the system is, how to engage with it, and what their rights are within it, then it's not a functioning system.” Highlighted by both the US Constitution’s first three words, we the people, and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, of the people, by the people, for the people, the citizens of the States are the most essential part of shaping this society, and preserving democracy. In contrast, in a society that lacks civic literacy, there is certainly no democracy.
Recently, Stevenson students have started to engage in politics more than ever through Stevenson’s own election day, where students vote on propositions proposed about different aspects of students' lives. Seeing this unique opportunity, Stevenson School also launched its civic engagement and literacy corner during assemblies to improve the civic literacy of Stevenson students. The students and faculty members have taken this opportunity “to stop and think about how we engage in politics as an institution.” It can be tricky to discuss politics, often revolving around controversial topics, and remain non-partisan in a school setting. Bessette further explained the importance of carefulness. Bessette comments, "each student should feel valued, seen, accepted, and empowered to flourish and learn in that space. We must ensure that nobody feels ostracized on any component of who they are or what they believe.”
In recent years, the US percentage of young voters has generally been lower than that of other developed countries, with 51% in 2020. According to the graph for Our World in Data, Germany and France remain at around 70%. As one of the oldest modern democracies, voting, movements, and other political engagements have been key factors that shape US democratic values. To preserve these values and safeguard the State’s democracy, the younger generation must understand and take on the role of engaging citizens.
Bessette explains the cause may be that “voting tends to be a stronger embedded value for older generations.” A possible cause can be the different generational identities and values one holds. But time and experience are necessary to “understand the value of their voice and access points.” Luckily, Stevenson students reflect an active engagement as some have dedicated themselves to voting in this year's presidential election. Stevenson School’s young voters commented on some qualities they think a presidential candidate should acquire: trustworthiness, empathy, unity, confidence, kindness, compassion, strength, and experience.
Seniors also reflected on various strategies for choosing the candidates they will vote for. Senior Anna Mitchell, driven by her studies in the US Government, believes this election is a pivotal moment to advocate for her values. "I feel it’s my duty to use my voice for what I believe in," she states. Another US Government student, Shawn Tse, explained that he was told to but also cares about the candidates' policies, while “some should not be allowed to happen.”
While upholding personal beliefs plays an important part in a student’s decision process, some student’s strong opinions against other candidates are what helped them to decide. Kai Carlson commented, “I will be voting for Kamala Harris; this is not a direct result of her policies, but more so the fact that she is not Trump. I would accept any candidate, democratic or republican, that is not Trump. He is one of the worst people I have ever seen in politics, yet he is on the verge of winning again.”
After the election season, Stevenson School wishes to continue increasing students' civic literacy and engagement, with a future where civics is more integrated into Stevenson’s curriculum. Justin Bate’s US Government assembly has been a highlight over the past few weeks leading up to the election day. It can be a good source for students to increase their civic literacy even after this upcoming presidential election season. The US Government class’s creative project, that allows students to design their own unique project to increase civic literacy on campus, is also expected to continue. Students have recently been working on various projects, such as a Spotify podcast, collaboration with KSPB, and mock Proposition 33 voting on campus.
While this year’s new US Government and Comparative Government honor courses will remain, Bessette also thinks “there's a lot of [other] places where it's not that hard to discuss civics” within other history courses “at all stages.” By fostering an environment of informed and engaged citizens, we empower future generations to shape a democracy that truly reflects their values.
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