Talking to Kids About the Election!
Get your kids involved in the upcoming election! Here are some talking points to help the youngest to oldest children become more aware of the voting process.
Who are the candidates? What position does each of the candidates hope to hold? What does it mean to be President and Vice President? With your older kids, talk about who in your area is running for Congress, the Senate, and for state and local offices. What do those positions entail?
How does voting work? Hold a family election to decide which board game to play. Which choice gets the most votes? What does it mean to have a majority? What happens to those whose selections weren't picked?
What's special about the voting process? Why is voting done in private? What might happen if people had to vote in public? Why is there no "electioneering" allowed near the voting booths? Who counts the votes? Why must the counting be done in a trustworthy way?
What are political parties? Why do people with similar views band together to support a candidate? What is a party platform? What happens when there's disagreement within a political party? What is a primary?
What is a representative democracy? Why do people elect officials to make important decisions? What would happen if everyone in the public voted on every issue that came up? What happens if elected representatives don't do what the public supports?
What are government responsibilities? What are some of the things that the government does? Who are some of the people in your community who work for the town, city, state, or federal government? Why are teachers, librarians, police officers, and firefighters among those hired with tax money?
What are the different branches of government? How are the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government different from one another? How do they provide "checks and balances" to one another?
Hold a family debate. Play the role of each candidate.
Or try debating one of these topics:
- Should there be term limits?
- Should people be penalized if they don't vote?
Take your kids with you to vote!
In the November 2008 issue of Highlights, you'll find more questions to help kids think about voting.