The US has been described as a representative democracy, and yet considering the current age demographic of voters who actually participate, how can this be considered representative? Turnout rates for 18–24 year olds in presidential elections have always been lower than the national average, compared to 65+ age voters who are well above the average by 2020. The majority of this age group votes for Democrats, while ages 30–44 are split evenly between the two parties. Those in the older range favored GOP. If this is the case, then the representatives that we have in congress is not a true representation of its population.

There are many reasons that scholars have attributed to low turnout rates: voter apathy, restricting laws and policies, barriers to voting, the current economic environment… A prevalent theory that would increase political involvement is better educational involvement in schools. There are many studies that show that involving students in role-play and debates/discussions allow students to tackle difficult topics and understand the importance of getting involved. Sparking interest early, increasing the personal quality of politics, and getting students more constantly involved has shown to keep interest as they continue to grow into young adults. Some say you can start in elementary school with concepts that are easy enough to understand and move on from there. And in school, there are a diverse collection of experiences and opinions that can further push students to investigate and critically think for themselves in the future.

But how do we introduce students to these topics without being daunting? How do we really make sure students are engaged without being turned off right at the beginning? This is something I’d like to pursue with my thesis.