by Bri Kennedy

Created on: March 04, 2007   Last Updated: March 19, 2008

If you are a teenager, involvement in politics is essential. However, even if you're not old enough to vote yet, there are ways you can become involved in the system and form your own opinions about your culture and your government.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE NEWS

Many young people tend to either ignore the political scene or to take on the same opinions as their parents. Be an individual. You are capable of rationally analyzing the events that you hear about. Pay attention to the bias in the news, too and do a little research of your own. Also, pay close attention to the source of your news. Clearly, a respected journal like the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal is far less biased and a better source of news than, say, Fox news.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO FORM YOUR OWN OPINIONS

While your parents may be firmly rooted in their opinions, you don't have to be, and you don't have to agree with them. Being able to analyze the events going on in this country will be essential to making good decisions as a voter. Current events in the past few years have shown definitively that people in this country are not paying attention to the realities of public policy and how it affects the world. Rather, they are voting along party lines. Look at the real consequences of the decisions we make at the ballot box. For example, how many Republican candidates have you seen win elections by appealing to religion or to anti-abortion sentiments? Probably a lot. In contrast, how many Republican elected officials have taken any action on those issues? None. This does not mean that you should vote for one candidate or another or one party over another. However, this kind of emotional appeal is deceptive. Candidates appeal to your sense of morality or religious beliefs when, in fact, political action has little to do with these things. No president, senator, or governor is going to change society's morals, so don't believe when they imply that they can! A candidate who is a great Christian may be horrible at foreign policy, may start wars all over the world, and may even embarrass our country globally. Make your own decisions based on objective analysis and the facts at hand.

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO BE POLITICALLY ACTIVE

Joining clubs at school will put you in touch with other like-minded young people. The problem with this is you are now exposed to other people's biases too. Joining Young Republicans or Young Democrats puts pressure on you to support a particular candidate simply because of their party affiliation. Don't believe that just because you consider yourself a member of a particular political party that you can't vote for someone with a different political affiliation because you believe them to be a better candidate.

If you are too young to vote, volunteer for a campaign. You can make phone calls and perform other volunteer office jobs to support the candidate of your choosing. You should be able to find information about these kinds of things at your party's office or online.

Above all, it is important to be informed. When you perform your own analysis of political events and leaders, you will be questioned by your peers, your parents, and your elders. The only way you can stand up to questioning is to have information to support your opinions. This can only come from seeking out that information yourself via the news, online, and on television. Don't rely on friends or family to provide you with unbiased news. The "news" we hear from others is often incorrect, or wrought with urban legends and other spins. Only when you learn to listen and analyze news for yourself can you form your own opinions.

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