Learn how to participate in the political system and initiate change in your community.

Do you have a voice? How can you make your views heard, even if you are too young to vote? Can you make a difference in your city, state, nation, or the world? Do you have an issue you feel passionate about? How can you do something about it?

The answer to these questions is political action. You can participate in politics and influence your community even if you are too young to vote. In our democratic government, “by the people, of the people, for the people,” it is the right, if not the duty, of all citizens, to have a voice in politics. If you do not speak up, however, you will not be heard. Further, the more people you can persuade to join your cause, the more power you will have to effect change. Your voices together will be louder than your voice as an individual.

Click here to begin the WebQuest!

World Political Facts

According to the United Nations 2007 / 2008 Human Development Report, only 82 countries, comprising 57% of the world’s population, are fully democratic.

Only 125 countries, or 62% or the world’s population, have a free or partly-free press, according to the same report.

For more World Political Facts, such as the World’s 10 Most Corrupt Leaders, [Link to: www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0921295.html ] go to:

World Facts [Link to:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html ]

Political Facts [Link to:
www.library.arizona.edu/search/subjects/political/facts.html ]



What is a Gerrymander?

“Gerrymandering” occurs when politicians deliberately and arbitrarily distort a voting district’s boundaries, to give an advantage to the party setting the boundaries, or to give a disadvantage to their opponents. This is a picture of the original gerrymander, named in 1812 after Eldridge Gerry. Gerry was a member of the Democratic-Republican party which created the election district that resembled a salamander. How does the creation of voting districts affect you? Play the Redistricting Game.

Quiz Yourself

Take this quiz to test your knowledge about what you can do in politics

True / False

Public officials don’t care much what people like me think.

Sometimes politics and government seem so complicated that a person like me can’t really understand what’s going on.

People like me don’t have any say about what the government does.

Politics doesn’t interest me because it doesn’t matter to me.

If you answered “true” to any of these questions, then this assignment will show you how politics affects your life every day, and why you will want to understand it and take part in it.

If you answered “false” to all of these questions, then this assignment will help you learn how to make your voice heard.