Politics are a controversial topic of discussion in today’s world, but that doesn’t mean they should be. Students should be educated on current politics because we deserve to know what is happening on the socio-political landscape. In doing so, we begin to gain a fundamental understanding of the country’s democratic system, which inspires us to create change. 

Before the 2024 election, many new voters did not know who to vote for because they were unaware of the policies of both candidates. This can prove especially damaging to the political sphere: by voting on the basis of others’ opinions, you risk voting for a candidate whose policies are things you do not support. According to Google Trends, searches for “How to change my vote?” surged across the country on the day of and after the election took place. This suggests that many voters lack a genuine  understanding of  the policies and values of the candidate they chose. While presidential elections only happen every four years, if students were informed of the meaning of typical stances like tax cuts, tariffs or fracking in school, they would have a general understanding of the candidates and the policies they support. And with this knowledge, comes the importance of voting for someone that is not only an accurate representation of the individual, but also, someone that reflects the values of America. 

Being educated on politics provides more benefits than just knowing who to vote for. It also gives students a better understanding of how the government currently operates, which allows students to form their own opinions and possibly a passion for creating change. We currently have a two party system. This makes it challenging for independent candidates to win major elections, such as the presidency.  If people desire to alter that, they need to be more educated on how the system works and what would need to be campaigned for before an election. Making huge positive changes to our government requires a lot of passion and knowledge, and teaching politics in school could accelerate that. 

Overall, I believe that current politics should be taught in schools because it would be favorable to everyone. Not only would students be educated and prepared to  join the real world \, but there would be  higher chances for impact to be made as future generations begin to engage in politics.

Works Cited:

“Explore the Searches That Are Trending Now - Trends Help.” Google, Google, support.google.com/trends/answer/3076011?hl=en.  Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.  

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=now%207-d&geo=US&q=how%20to%20change%20my%20vote&hl=en