Kids tend to be naturally curious about politics, and can quickly develop an interest in how their country functions at an early age. For instance, seeing someone asking for money on the street may prompt their curiosity: Why does that person sleep there?"
Your child can further their interest in politics by teaching them about politics.
What is Politics?
Politics is the uncompromising and legitimate struggle over limited resources and rights within a government, economy, or society. Politics has existed as long as humans have experienced scarcity while holding different beliefs and preferences and needing ways to resolve conflicting conditions.
Politics is all about asserting competing interests - be they between two friends deciding the toppings they want on their pizza, or between countries addressing climate change. Political decisions can occur on every level of social organization from clans and tribes through local governments, companies and institutions all the way to sovereign states in international arenas.
Why Vote?
Even if your children aren't yet eligible to vote, learning about politics can still be invaluable in shaping civic-minded adults. When election season rolls around, take your children with you or allow them to watch as you vote; explain why and give your reasons. Also use votes within the family to decide on activities like what movie to watch; this way they'll experience following majority opinion.
Read books together about political topics, as well as visiting reputable news websites and blogs specifically targeting kids. Discuss political advertisements designed to create emotions in order to get people's attention and how these tactics may be employed by political campaigns to gain power.
How Does Politics Work?
Politics is the art of collaborative decision-making among diverse individuals with differing viewpoints, whether that means selecting toppings for pizza together among friends or finding ways to address global issues as a nation.
Children can gain an understanding of local politics by becoming familiar with who their councillor or MP is and the issues they are working on, making the subject matter more relatable and accessible.
United States of America politicians are elected at federal, state, and local levels through popular vote. There are two major political parties - Democratic and Republican. Independent candidates may also run. Congress, consisting of both Houses (House of Representatives and Senate), writes and passes laws through this legislative branch bicameral legislative branch; through their President they may veto bills but overriding that action requires two-thirds in both chambers for approval.
What is the Difference Between the Two Parties?
Democratic and Republican are the two main political parties in the US. Each holds different ideals on how a government should function and what role it should play in society.
Democrats support minimum wages and progressive taxation while Republicans do not. Republicans prefer free market policies with reduced regulation while Democrats prioritize environmental protection, abortion rights, and gun control measures.
Political parties do not force elected officials to adhere to party lines. As a result, Republicans and Democrats who disagree with policies of their respective party can run as independent candidates; third political parties have occasionally appeared and been short-lived; today's two-party system came about after the Whig Party split over slavery before the Civil War broke out.
How Can I Help?
Parents bear a primary responsibility to help their child understand political events and develop their beliefs and opinions about politics and government. By encouraging their child to explore, research, read up on, discuss political topics with friends or parents can assist their kids in coming up with their own answers about government and politics.
Focus on local and state politics when discussing this subject with children. It will make it more meaningful and help them realize they can have an effectful voice in shaping society.
Encourage your children to read books on politics and government written for all ages, as well as news sources specifically tailored for children that provide you with opportunities to demonstrate research methods to differentiate fact from fiction. Also teach them that it's okay to disagree or consider different viewpoints even if they don't fully agree with them.
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