“It’s not fair,” I tearily protested, “It’s just a stupid popularity contest.” I was embarrassingly defeated in the 6th grade student council election. A shocking result — my campaign was solid and even the snack-time polls were optimistic. And just before recess, I had discovered politics.
The politicization of our youth takes many forms, from heated school elections to political clubs. These polemical activities do not arise because of our inherent leadership skills or any other exaggerated traits of the millennials. Nor does the youthpolitik develop out of immaturity — the Lord of the Flies’ sense of juvenile competitiveness. Politics are infused into our lives by adult forces: this divisive Berlin wall is cemented by foreign ideologues, destroying our unity from an early age.
The distinction must be made between politicization and political activism. The latter includes exercising our rights by protest, staying informed through the news and voting in elections upon turning 18. It is the former that I disagree with.
The benefits of teenage politics ought to be recognized. We learn about current issues by classroom discussion or by joining political clubs. Student councils and other conferences teach us the qualities of leadership. Debating instructs us in rhetoric. By participating in school elections, we realize the strengths and faults of a representative democracy. Mock political activities, including the junior congresses and model United Nations, allow us to emulate our leaders, imitating the political procedures that shape our nation and world. Unfortunately, that is not necessarily a good thing.
The main detriment of teaching politics to our youth is self-explanatory; there exists a bitter partisanship in the hallways of elementary schools. Political activism not only exists but is encouraged — students who join political clubs are praised as “student leaders” and rewarded on their resumes. At such an early age, however, the issues are either too trivial for serious consideration, such as choosing the venue for a prom, or too demanding for a student body, such as balancing the school budget. Thus, the political process is taught in a backward manner. Instead of studying the issues before choosing a candidate, we focus wholly on the candidate. Victory is won by physical appearance and perhaps a funny speech or slogan. Kids are instructed in the worst of our politics — bribery, egotism, and empty rhetoric. Students become disillusioned by the most educative of activities.
Being exposed to inane politics in school, many are turned off from actual politics before voting in their first election. Ask students who they are voting for in the fall; several will respond that both parties sicken them and they despise the whole system. Thus, through the simplified political competitions of our youth, students often become disinterested in politics altogether. Tasting frivolous school politics, we take our actual voting rights for granted. Our sole exercise of democratic free will is choosing not to use it.
In our universities, politics have an even stronger presence. This is unfortunate, given our importance as youth voters in a swing state and the demanding challenges we face. Ideally, a voting citizen inspects all the issues, which are both complex and mutable, before arriving at a difficult decision. But many of us have already made the easier choice: selecting basic principles and then holding staunch to our simple ideals. The fierce debate among students alienates others who want to learn. On our papers and in our clubs, we are told to “make the argument,” lauded for proving ourselves right and someone else wrong. We accuse each other of bias and ignorance, forgetting that we ourselves rarely comprehend the full issue. We critique our elders for engaging in petty politics and refusing to compromise — then we emulate their ways. A new generation has come and nothing has changed.
There is a powerful alternative to the modern politicization of youth. In classical regimes, education was a vital mechanism that transformed students into virtuous citizens. Unfortunately, as my home state of Texas has shown, even education has become partisan. So it is even more important to stress political education in our schools. What I recommend is a government mandate. That is, a required teaching of government. At Mr. Jefferson’s University especially, we should demand our students to take a basic politics class. Instead of engaging in modern politics, we should study the foundations of our country; do not tell me what is said about the Constitution, but show me the document itself. Put down The Craft of Argument and pick up The Federalist Papers. If we want meaningful reform in our national political infrastructure, we must first tear down the political wall in our schools. Let us promote political education — not imitation — for our youth.
Aaron Eisen is a senior associate editor for The Cavalier Daily at U. Virginia. He can be reached at a.eisen@cavalierdaily.com.