1. Political Participation
Find Your Voice!
Political Participation

2. Write down three words that come to mind when you see:
POLITICS
Discuss responses with students and keep a list of words used.

3. How would you define “politics”?
a : the art or science of government;
b : the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy
Instruct students to write down their definition of the word “politics”.
So what would political participation include?

4. Political Participation
Political participation is the way citizens participate in their government.
How do citizens participate in government?
After asking students how citizens participate in government, discuss their responses. Keep a list of methods of participation they mention.
Click the image above to view Facts of Congress: Citizen Participation!

5. Political Participation
There are many ways to participate in government. Today, we are going to look at ten ways in which citizens can participate in government:
Becoming and staying informed on political issues
Boycotting a product/business
“Buycotting” a product
Contacting media outlets
Contacting public officials
Peaceably protesting and/or petitioning the government
Running for public office
Voting
Volunteering on a political campaign
Joining an interest group

6. Becoming and staying informed on political issues
Why is it important to be informed about political issues?
Citizens should know what is going on in government:
To hold government accountable
To know what policies exist and are being proposed…
…and how these policies will impact the public
Consider this:
What if every voter cast their vote with no knowledge about the candidates or the issues?
What if the people didn’t know what was going on in government?
Discuss the “consider this” questions. Students should recognize that being politically informed helps voters make decisions in elections, keeps the public aware of what is going on in the government, and helps the citizens keep the government accountable by being aware of what is transpiring. Citizens should be aware of existing and proposed policies and how they will impact the public.

7. How can this be used as political participation?
Boycotting
What does it mean to “boycott” something?
Boycotting is an expression of protest or disfavor with a person, organization, company, or country usually for political reasons by not dealing with or buying from that entity.
For example:
Following the BP oil spill in 2010, many residents of Florida and other gulf states “boycotted” BP gas; by not buying their gas, the people were sending a message that they were unhappy with BP and that the company and the government should change their drilling procedures/regulations to protect the environment, and, thus, the economies of those states.
For more information on boycotting and the oil spill:
Image from:
How can this be used as political participation?

8. So how does “buycotting” send a political message?
Buycotting is the opposite of boycotting. A buycott is an active campaign to buy the products or services of a particular company or country to show support.
For example:
On August 1, 2012, people participated in a “buycott” of Chick-fil-a to show support for the company’s stance on same sex marriage.
So how does “buycotting” send a political message?
Buycotting sends a political message by showing overwhelming support for a cause. Another example would be the red Apple ipods which contributed funds to aids. In the Chick-fil-a example, it was a way of showing support for what has become a hotly debated political and moral issue.
At the same time, many people have decided to boycott Chick-fil-a for their stance on same-sex marriage.

9. Contacting media outlets
Media outlets are a way to make the voices of individuals heard. This gives people access to public forums to discuss, debate, and even protest issues.
Websites
Newspaper articles and opinion pieces
Radio
Television news programs
Facebook
Twitter
Blogs
What are some media outlets we use to make our political voices heard today?

10. Contacting public officials
Public officials are in office to represent We the People
This means they are accountable to the people and should listen to the ideas of their constituents.
How can you contact your public officials?
Letters s
Phone calls
Media outlets (newspaper, websites, blogs)
Constituent: the voters and other individuals being represented in government by an elected official
Ask students who their “public officials” would be. This could include: city council, Mayor, school board members, state Representatives, state Senators, U.S. Congressmen and women

11. Protesting and/or petitioning
Protesting is the act of showing disapproval or disagreement with something.
Petitioning is appealing to the government for change or other specific action
Organizations like provide a forum for people to create and sign petitions on various topics at a local, state, national, and even international level
Protesters gather outside of a Florida courthouse to protest a display of the Ten Commandments
Have you ever heard of a protest or petition? What was it about?
Image from

12. Run for public office
As citizens, we are allowed to run for public office as long as we meet the constitutional and legal requirements at the federal and state levels.
This is a way to solve problems that impact our local community, represent the people in our community, and support causes we find important.

13. Voting
Citizens eighteen years of age and older are allowed to vote in elections in the United States.
Voting is a way to have a political voice in who represents you and who supports and/or opposes policies that will impact you and your community.
Click the image above to watch
Facts of Congress: One Vote

14. Volunteering for a political campaign
Political parties are groups of people who share similar views on the role of government.
By volunteering for a political campaign, you are able to show support for candidates and issues you find important

15. Joining an interest group
What is an interest group?
An interest group is a group of people who work together to support a cause and/or impact public policy.
This could mean encouraging certain public policies created by government…
…or trying to influence individuals in government to vote in certain ways.
…or opposing certain public policies created by government…
…or funding a particular candidate…
Some Examples of Interest Groups:
American Federation of Teachers

16. Now that you have more information on political participation…
Read each of the methods of political participation on your Find Your Voice handout.
Rank the methods of participation in order of most effective to least effective.
Questions to consider:
How accessible and/or easy is this method of participation?
Does this method of participation actually accomplish a goal?
How effective is this method of participation?

17. Once you finish your individual rankings…
Work in a group of 3-5 to decide on your Top 5 Ways to Make Your Political Voice Heard handout
Come to a consensus on the top 5 most effective ways to participate in politics.
Debrief with students to see what each group’s Top 5 methods of political participation were. Students will then need to create “campaign posters” to advertise their Top 5 and to encourage people to participate in government.
Challenge:
Can you think of five more ways to participate in government?

18. Poster Project
Next your group will need to create “campaign posters” advertising your Top 5 Ways to Make Your Political Voice Heard.
Use great visuals, color, slogans, and persuasive techniques to encourage others to participate in government